Manners Maketh Dragon
by Ryushinchi
Summary: Issei Hyoudou, no matter his circumstances, has always been an existence which revolved around women. Of course, with a bit of helpful direction early on in life, that fixation might have been channelled a bit more constructively than peeking into locker rooms. This is the story of the man who would become the ultimate Gentleman - and a Dragon too, if he had time.
1. A Gentleman Always Puts Ladies First

"Normal Speech"

'Thought / Scott Speaking'

' _Issei Thinking_ '

 **'Ddraig Speaking'**

 **"Technique"**

 **[Announcements]**

{~o~}

"Well, Scott? What do we think?"

Standing before a set of open, wrought-iron gates, Issei Hyoudou looked at his school of the past year. It was built in the western style, its ground-floor windows tall and arched, the second through third simple squares, and with another line of windows protruding from the sloped, tiled roof. Done in shades of brown and cream, the whole thing was quietly peaceful; that was a large part of what gave it such a great reputation.

Kuoh Academy had, until only recently, been a girls-only school. However, with a change of management had come its co-ed status, and the Hyoudou family had immediately leapt on the chance for their son to attend a local highschool of good repute.

The brunet hadn't complained; the place _did_ have a good reputation, and good success figures too. Sure, his grades might not be the best ever, but he did well enough to get by – and from the articles he'd read online, this was the kind of school that could take that level of competence and accelerate it into the world of employment.

'Of course, it helps that there are so many girls around, doesn't it?' The voice, baritone and smooth, was definitely tinged with wry amusement as it flowed through Issei's mind. The teen himself chuckled, turning a bit red as he scratched his cheek, brown eyes downcast momentarily.

"You know me too well Scott..."

'Of course I know you well, lad. We've been together forever; Red would know you this well too, but he wouldn't know what to do with a girl if one fell on him!'

Both human voices shared a chuckle, even as a third one, which sounded more like two mountains crashing into one another, let out a displeased breath that may have been called a _humph_ were the progenitor human.

 **'What need have I to understand your race's mating habits? All your females are so scrawny, so fleshy.'**

Even as he began moving forward again, satchel held over his shoulder and standard Kuoh Academy uniform glowing slightly in the morning sun, Issei snorted. "You're still moping over Tiamat dumping you, huh?"

 **'I AM MOST CERTAINLY NOT!'** The Red Dragon Emperor roared, prompting his host to wince slightly, and a moan of pain from the elder male voice. **'I CARE NOT FOR THAT MISLEADING WENCH!'**

'Yeah yeah, you keep telling yourself that Red...' Scott muttered, glaring at the massive scaled creature from his place inside the Boosted Gear. Standing tall at six and a half feet, the man himself was built like a brick outhouse. His hair was an orangey-red mirrored by his close-cropped beard, and his almost inhumanly muscled torso was left bare, while his lower half was concealed to the knees by a wrap of tartan fabric.

One incredibly large emerald eye fixed the human with a glare, which he just shrugged off. They'd been stuck together for seventeen years; even a Dragon's irritation became somewhat diluted over time. 'But laddie, I'd say things'll be getting started this year. They've given us time to settle in, now's their time to start moving in.'

Issei, who by now had just about made it to his homeroom, grunted an affirmative. "Yeah, I was thinking that too..." He muttered under his breath. Not being able to communicate mentally with his tenants was a disadvantage he'd been forced to live with – apparently, neither entity was privy to his thoughts; they could predict him based on their knowledge of him, but other communication was limited to the verbal on his part.

 **'Let them come.'** Ddraig dismissed. **'My Partner is more than powerful enough to teach them their place.'**

As the teacher walked in, the students rising to meet them, Scott watched pensively through his charge's eyes. 'I suppose he'll have to be.'

{~o~}

When recess rolled around, the one teen who was actually three beings wandered out into the sunlight, finding himself a spot to lay down on the grass. As he let the sun and wind wash over him, the brunet sighed contentedly. "I love Summer..."

"Hey, Issei!"

The young man in question groaned. Those two again...

Opening his eyes, he found part of his field of vision obscured by two heads. One was shaved clean, revealing a mostly average face that held an oddly monk-like appearance that was incredibly deceiving.

The other had a mop of dark-ish brown hair, and eyes that were concealed by a pair of glasses currently reflecting the sun's rays.

These were Matsuda 'The Perverted Paparazzi' and Motohama 'The Three-Sizes Scouter', also known as the Perverted Duo. And, somehow, the closest thing that Issei had to friends at this school.

"What're you doing lying around?" Matsuda demanded, the former jock's face glowing with righteous purpose. "It's Summer! The first day back at school!" Issei stared blankly back at him. " _The first meeting of the Kendo club!_ "

Ah. That was it.

"Haven't I told you before?" Issei groaned. "I'm not interested in peeking on girls."

Motohama chimed in, standing to his full (and not particularly significant) height. "BUT WHY?!" He cried, attracting attention from all over the quad. "You're a virile young man, in the prime of your youth, surrounded by beautiful, bouncy, buxom women! It's your _duty_ to appreciate them as much as possible!"

Issei just stared at him with a mix of pity and mild irritation. "You really don't get it..." He muttered, and a grunt of affirmation from Scott told him that the man agreed. Ddraig was just leaving them to it – the Dragon cared little for this part of his life, leaving it to the teen's human tenant.

Standing up himself, the rather well-built brunet folded his arms and channeled just a hint of the Draconic nature that Ddraig had gifted him with. "My _duty_ as a man, you say?" The force of his glare and the mild pressure exerted by his aura seemed to shrink the two perverts, both of them stepping back as they found themselves the focus of Issei's irritation.

"Do not compare me to you," he continued, "you who have forgotten the true nature of a man's duty." Setting his feet apart, the brunet extended a fist to the sky as his voice rose and an infernal light seemed to shine from his eyes. " _I_ , am a man! A defender of women everywhere, no matter their age or appearance! I am the elder brother, the helpful grandson, the gentleman who escorts his date home!"

He looked back down at the perverts, who seemed to have lost the facility to do anything but kneel before him and stare. "To be a man is to understand the responsibility we have to care for women! To make them comfortable, to let them move in their own time, to come to us if they wish!"

He pointed one finger at the duo, and it might as well have been the judgement of God himself. " _That_ is my duty as a man! And if you cannot understand that, then _you are not men!_ "

With that final proclamation, Issei allowed the power he'd been feeding to his aura to die away, prompting the two other teens to fall over backwards. "Did I over-do it...?" The brunet muttered to himself, and two low chuckles echoed in his mind.

 **'No, Partner.'** Ddraig told him. **'You chose the right amount of power; they simply have less of a defense against your aura than normal humans.'**

'Probably comes from being beaten down so often,' Scott chimed in. 'The girls around here hit hard enough to bend even the human spirit, it would seem.'

Scratching the back of his head, Issei looked up and around. A large portion of the quad were staring at him. Some of the girls were blushing a little, others were glaring at him; most of the men were glaring daggers at him, though a couple were nodding to themselves or at him.

"Tough crowd..." Turning to leave, the self-proclaimed 'Draconic Gentleman' paused for a moment when a slight tingle of energy ran over him. Looking back over his shoulder, his gaze focussed on two figures standing on the roof of the academy.

Both were female, and both were almost ridiculously busty for teenagers. The differences began there; the figure on the left had hair which flowed freely in the breeze, long enough for her to sit on if she tried, its colour almost identical to the scales of Ddraig himself. Even from here, he could feel her teal eyes on him, almost glowing against the milk-white of her skin.

The girl on the right had hair as black as a crow's wing, kept in a long ponytail which swayed in the breeze. Her eyes were mostly closed, as per usual, but Issei knew a sliver of their amethyst could have been seen up close, set in porcelain features.

The 'Two Great Onee-samas' of Kuoh Academy, Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima. Lusted after by men and worshiped by women...and occasionally, vice-versa.

They were also both Not Human.

Brown eyes met lightest blue for a long moment, despite the massive distance separating them, and then Issei offered a nod. He was a gentleman, after all.

Acknowledgment offered, he turned and wandered off, hands in his pockets as he left two shivering perverts behind him. "And by now, the Kendo Club will have finished changing."

'Nicely done, lad. Nicely done.'

{~o~}

From her position on the academy's roof, the red-haired teenager watched Issei disappear around the corner of a building.

There was no mistake. It was incredibly faint, normally undetectable, but between now and a couple of other times in the past year...

"Ara ara, so Koneko-chan was right..." The young woman beside her, christened by the school as the 'Yamato Nadeshiko' for her almost flawless appearance, had opened her eyes now, a twisted grin on her lips as light danced in amethyst.

"It looks like it." Rias confirmed, a smile pulling at her own lips. "A Dragon, right here in my reach... It must be fate!"

A low chuckle from beside her drew teal eyes to Rias' oldest friend, who was now supporting one of her cheeks with a hand. "Ara, ara...so little Rias has found her fated one already? So sudden~"

The Gremory quickly turned as red as her hair. " _Akeno!_ "

{~o~}

"Well, we know for sure now." Issei was talking, seemingly to himself, as he walked home from school. His satchel was carelessly slung over his shoulder while his other hand was in his jacket pocket, his face turned heavenwards even while his gaze darted to the path to ensure he didn't hit anyone.

Two affirmative grunts. 'She was looking right at you laddie, straight into your eyes. No 20/20 vision's gonna cut it at that kind of distance.'

 **'She was also sensing us,'** Ddraig expanded. **'You might contain our power well, Partner, but you used just enough back there to let her detect it. Likely, the same holds true for all the other scoldings you've given over the past year.'**

The brunet sighed. "Well what am I supposed to do? Most of the school are misogynistic bastards, I can't just sit back and watch it happen..."

The emotional equivalent of a pat on the shoulder rolled in from Scott. 'And you don't have to, lad. Neither the Occult Research Club nor the Student Council have made a move just yet. If they wanted to harm you, they'd likely have done so already, before people knew you well enough to notice if you disappeared. They're watching, but they don't seem malign.

'They know about you, you know about them. We've not lost any advantage.'

Ddraig grunted. **'That isn't necessarily true. A Dragon's power is highly distinctive, even in small amounts. They likely know what we are, but we can only guess.'**

"You covered this before," Issei recalled. "The only major influences in Japan right now are the Three Factions and the Youkai, right?"

 **'That's right, Partner. The Angels, the Fallen Angels and the Devils are still prevalent. The Youkai keep to themselves though, and the majority never leave their hidden capital in Kyoto.'**

"So they're likely Angels, Devils or Fallen Angels..." The brunet sighed. "So two chances out of three they're evil, huh? Man, that sucks..."

At that moment, the young man turned onto a bridge, and found himself facing a girl around his age.

Her hair was a glossy black, and hung down to her mid-back. She had eyes of a dark violet, set in unblemished features with a healthy pink tinge to them. She was dressed in a maroon jacket over a white blouse, tied at the neck with a scarlet ribbon. A golden shield with a 'P' on it was sown over her heart, and the same colour was applied to her jacket's buttons.

A green skirt ended well above her knees, and white socks began just below the joint to lead into ordinary brown school shoes.

All in all, she looked like a perfectly ordinary high-school student – one either his age, or perhaps a year below.

But the aura of disquieting energy mixed with a sort of...resigned malicious intent she was giving off kinda ruined the whole 'innocent schoolgirl' act.

"A...ano..." She was a great actress, he had to admit. She shuffled from foot to foot, poked her fingers together, her eyes flickered between the ground and his own eyes before turning bashfully away. She was even blushing.

"Y...you're Issei Hyoudou, right?" Her voice was quiet, a bit shaky, and it held a tone that was resonating with his 'kawaii' sense.

"That's me." He confirmed easily; it didn't particularly matter at this point. This creature had obviously looked somewhat into his background, but that wasn't a big deal. His parents were out of the country, as per usual, and trying to find them would probably be a nightmare. He had no siblings, and no real friends or valuable possessions. In other words, the most valuable information she could gain from that was his address and his school.

Since one of those was trapped as best he could manage, and the other seemed like a den for other supernatural entities, he wasn't too worried about her making use of that information.

"W...would you..." More shuffling, more bashful glances. Then she clasped her hands together and leaned forward, face red as she rushed the words. "Would you please go on a date with me?" She even managed to give him a good window into her cleavage as she moved. This woman was _good_.

Unfortunately for her, she was dealing with a Gentleman – and one who knew far more than she was giving him credit for.

Both Scott and Ddraig knew what he was thinking; all of them were well-acquainted with the others' thought processes by now. Twin feelings of confirmation set their course.

"When it's such a beautiful girl as yourself asking me?" He inquired, smiling just as he practiced in front of the mirror and stepping forward, extending one hand. "How could I ever refuse?"

He gently took one of the woman's hands in his own, pressing a soft kiss to the back of it. "You have me at a disadvantage, miss; you know I am Issei Hyoudou, but you have yet to give me your name?"

The woman seemed a touch nonplussed, but she recovered quickly and gave him a shy smile. "I-I'm Yuuma. Yuuma Amano."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," the brunet mused. "So Yuuma-chan, how about we meet in the town square on Friday afternoon? Don't worry about anything – I'll take care of the whole thing." Another smile, one which had managed to get him out of a lot of trouble over the years. "It'll be a date to remember!"

{~o~}

'A date to remember indeed, lad.'

It had been a pretty good day, all things considered. Though 'Yuuma' had been a bit late, Issei had got himself a bit more evidence in his information war with his school's supernaturals when a woman who looked like a cosplayer handed him a pamphlet inscribed with a magic circle.

According to Ddraig, the circle belonged to a Devil. So, there were definitely Devils in Kuoh, and neither the ORC or the Council were Fallen Angels because the energy he'd managed to detect from them on rare occasions was vastly different from that of 'Yuuma'. Thus, he was finally sure that he attended a highschool with a decently high population of Devils.

Par for the course, really.

The date had been fun. They'd been to a restaurant and the arcade, along with walking around and talking about various things. For a lot of it, Issei's date appeared to be lying through her teeth – but when the conversation ended up at the Church, he'd been surprised. The anger she'd displayed for an instant – it hadn't been hatred, the ugly emotion he'd expect from a Fallen Angel. It had been a pure rage, a righteous anger, that he himself had known several times.

But that was a mystery for another time, because when they'd ended up in the park, the girl had revealed her true colours.

It seemed that she'd actually gained a few inches in height, though that might just have been her posture changing. Her figure was still slight, a direct contradiction to her massive chest, and he could most _definitely_ tell.

Her legs up to mid-thigh, and her arms up to mid-bicep were clad in leather boots and gloves respectively, with plated guards at her knees. Pauldrons extended from her shoulders, seemingly attached to the corset-like leather wrapped just below her chest, supporting her bust. A strip of leather preserved her modesty there, seemingly attached to the choker around her neck by an arrangement of leather straps.

Her ensemble was completed by a pair of bottoms that had less material than even a bikini, its material covering her absolute territory down and around to the curve of her rear, but not bothering with her cheeks at all. One half of its supporting arch was composed of three thin strips, while the other was a single, thicker band.

It was modesty inverted; covering just about everything that could normally be left bare, and emphasising what should be private. Yes, this was what he'd expect from a Fallen Angel – well, that and the two massive crow's wings sprouting from her back.

"I actually had fun today..." The woman told him, a rush of power preceding the formation of a weapon in her hand. It was jagged, like a shard of broken glass that had been extended into a fair facsimile of a spear. It was almost the same colour as her eyes, a darkened violet like twilight, and the young man was quite well assured that it was deadly.

"I didn't expect it, but you were a good date. For that, I'll tell you – my name is Raynare. Now go to your rest, cursing the God who placed a Sacred Gear within you!" Then she threw, the air screaming around the point of the weapon that now sought Issei's heart.

Instead, it met dirt as he side-stepped neatly.

"W-what?!" Raynare seemed honestly shocked, and he knew why. That attack was too fast for a normal human to see coming, let alone dodge.

" **Boosted Gear.** "

There was a rush of crimson light around Issei's left arm, rising from his skin and rotating like a drill as he called for his weapon. It formed quickly, metal the colour of fresh blood running up his limb to the elbow and taking shape.

The fingers were talons, bladed and pointed to form deadly weapons. The back of the hand held a glowing emerald orb, currently radiating power and luminscence like a small sun. The metal leading up to his elbow was ridged, like overlapping scales, and extended out the sides like thorns. It terminated in an arrow-head shape that protruded a good few inches beyond his elbow, two golden spikes sweeping back to either side of it like horns.

As it settled in place, Issei clenched his hand with the sound of metal on metal. "Ddraig, start the countdown."

 **'Already done, Partner.'**

The brunet stared down his opponent, who was currently running through a train of thought. "You...you knew, didn't you?"

 **[Boost!]**

"That you were a Fallen? That you planned to kill me?" The young man grinned. "Yep – knew it from the start. Your intent was clear from the beginning, and you didn't even bother suppressing your power."

The raven-haired woman recoiled, a hint of fear entering her gaze. "But...why...?"

 **[Boost!]**

"A couple of reasons," the teen informed her. "One, you knew who I was and where I'd be. That means this was pre-mediated, and I'd like to know who wants me dead and why." He tilted his head sideways. "Though you seem to have answered that second part already."

 **[Boost!]**

"The second reason, is that I haven't gone on a date in _ages_ , and I really wanted to get back in practice." That was depressingly true; since Matsuda and Motohama had started clinging on him, girls tended to avoid him like the plague. It wasn't fair; he'd dedicated his life to the cause of the Gentleman, and his unwilling association with two perverts ruined all his hard work!

Still, a Gentleman never rushed, never hurried, never pushed. They waited patiently, and if the women came to them, they accepted it as being worth the effort.

Raynare's eye twitched, and Issei felt her power beginning to gather again. He took a stance, right foot back, fist drawn as if ready to punch. "And the third reason..."

 **[Boost!]**

 **[16 Times: EXPLOSION!]**

"I want to know what you're protecting!"

Raynare's features froze in shock, her grip on her power fell apart along with her light spear, and she was completely unable to dodge as Issei's figure sprang forward like a bullet, his right hand glowing with red light as the heel of his palm rested gently on her collarbone. " **Ryushinchi no Jutsu: Anmin!** "

There was a flare of scarlet, a massive rush of built-up power running through the teen's hand and into the woman he was touching. The magic invaded her system, running along the conduits of her power and suffusing just about every inch of her. Then it contracted, wrapping softly around her mind and torso, imposing its wielder's will on Raynare's body.

A second later, her own magic was overwhelmed, and the Fallen Angel toppled over onto her target's shoulder as the power of a Dragon willed her gently to sleep.

Issei let out a breath as she fell, adjusting his stance to support her properly. "Man – a gentleman shouldn't talk about a lady's weight, but good _lord_ how does she not have back pains?"

'She's a Fallen Angel, lad.' Scott reminded him. 'She's between five to ten times as powerful as a human, even if she's basically a grunt. Her spine is more than capable of dealing with the strain.'

"Right, right...Not Human..." The brunet muttered to himself, grunting as he dismissed the Boosted Gear. A forward push of his shoulder set the woman to crumpling backwards, and he got an arm under her upper back. "But still, these wings weigh a ton!"

{~o~}

From the treeline, a petite figure with white hair, cut in a bob and held in place by two black hairclips like a cat's face, watched with amber eyes as the teen she'd been assigned to watch hefted the Fallen Angel in his arms and started off toward the other side of the clearing.

"...Buchou needs to know about this..."

{~o~}

"So he beat her?"

Rias Gremory sipped from the tea Akeno had just brewed, sitting back in her wood and velvet chair as she contemplated the report Koneko Toujou had just given her. They were in the Occult Research Club's meeting room, housed inside the old school building on the Kuoh campus.

It was shadowy and wood-panelled, lit by gas lamps in the Victorian style. That same style applied to most of the room; all the furniture was aged, wooden and cushioned with velvet. It was largely lined up against one wall, the other side of the room having been converted to serve as a bath. Engraved on the floor was a large, highly complex circle containing several geometric shapes, phrases in strange languages, and odd symbols.

"Hai, Buchou."

The red-haired Devil set her tea down, caressing her temples with her fingers. "And after he knocked her out, using some technique you didn't recognise in conjunction with the Boosted Gear, he then _took her home with him_?"

The white-haired girl nodded.

From her standing position beside Rias, Akeno giggled. "Ara ara, to think that a self-proclaimed Gentleman would do such a thing..."

Across the room, a throat was cleared. "Actually, senpai, I don't think it's what you're thinking of."

Three pairs of eyes turned to Yuuto Kiba, 'Kuoh's Prince', whose blond locks and steel-gray eyes had combined with his known physicality and aristocratic features to earn him a female following within the school unmatched by any other. As a gentleman himself, he was the most likely to understand.

"A part of the Gentleman's Code is 'never leave a woman in distress'. Koneko-chan, you said he told her he was curious?" A nod from the petite girl. "Then most likely, he decided that the best course of action was to take her to a place where he can question her while both their safeties are ensured."

Rias raised an eyebrow. "And he believes his home to be this place?"

The blond swordsman shrugged. "Well, considering what happened when you tried to teleport in, Buchou..."

The redhead blushed a little at that. When she had become interested in the underclassman, she had attempted to infiltrate his home in order to gain a better understanding of him. Instead, she had found herself bouncing right off some kind of anti-teleportation barrier, and had discovered later that the phrase 'It is polite to knock before entering' had appeared emblazoned across her forehead.

It had vanished twenty-four hours later, but her Peerage still liked to remind her of it.

"Alright, so his home is protected." She took another sip of tea. "The question now is, what do we do about this?"

{~o~}

"What the Hell am I going to do about this?"

Issei was sitting in his kitchen, a cup of tea in hand as he conferred with his tenants. Raynare was asleep in a bed upstairs, currently surrounded by several magic circles. One would alert him when she woke, another would drain magic from the area around her and thereby stop her forming any light spears, while another would form an air-permeable barrier all over her like a second skin. It should be strong enough to prevent her moving from her position.

'Well lad, I can't say I've got much experience with interrogations,' Scott admitted. 'But if I was in your place, I'd suggest setting her at ease. You put her down with no issue, so she knows she can't beat you. If you can get her over her fear, then she might start to think well of you.'

"Alright, that's one option." Issei muttered, at the same time knowing that he liked the sound of that one. It was the gentlemanly thing to do, after all. "Ddraig, you have any thoughts on this?"

A chuckle like an avalanche rumbled. **'Diplomacy among Dragons is very simple, Partner. One demands, and the other either surrenders or fights. It's the same for everything; territory, food, treasure, mating-'**

"Right, right, I get the point!" The brunet told him quickly, steering his mind away from thoughts of the Red Dragon Emperor and mating. "I had enough of that conversation after you and Tiamat's seven hundredth anniversary."

Issei and Scott shuddered as one. Apparently, Ddraig got talkative when he got melancholic; and being part of the same soul meant there was absolutely no way to tune him out.

"I don't think Ddraig's approach will work," Issei sighed. "I've beaten her once already, and using that fear to get what I want is just...ungentlemanly."

The Dragon grumbled, but relented. He knew his host had some odd ideas about interacting with the females of his species, largely brought about by the large human that had shared the Boosted Gear's city-scape ever since the child's birth.

'So, we do this our way then lad?'

The brunet grinned. "Yep. We do what we were born to do – charm a beautiful woman."

{~o~}

When Raynare awoke, the first thing she noticed was that she was still alive.

That was both good and bad; good, because she didn't particularly want to die. Bad, because there were some things in life far worse than death.

She opened her eyes, trying to look around. However, she found that she couldn't turn her head. Attempts to move other parts of her body met with equal failure, and she felt a rising panic as the possible implications of her paralysis set in.

"Ah, you're awake then? Good morning!"

The sudden voice would have caused her to jump if she could; instead, her eyes immediately shot in the direction of the sound. Standing within her field of view, but out of arm's reach, was the brunet she'd tried to kill. He was smiling at her, an honest expression of joy, and he appeared to be carrying a tray.

Her imagination kicked into overdrive, wondering what could possibly be on it. Drugs to make her talk? Torture implements?

"I brought breakfast. I'm afraid I don't know what you like, so I made do with something Western."

Apparently, the tray held sausages, beans, eggs and several slices of toast. A mug of tea steamed beside it where the metal service platter was set down somewhere beside her. "Ah, you can't move your head can you? Sorry about that, let me just..."

There was a rustle of cloth, a brief whisper of the same power that had overcome her the previous night, and she found that she could move her head. "There we go; that ought to do it."

She immediately began scanning the room with her wider range of vision. It was fairly standard; the walls were a light blue, unadorned save for a window which showed a morning sun and an open door leading into a hallway. There was a wardrobe standing in a corner, and she appeared to be lying on a fairly standard double bed.

"You're in my house," the brunet informed her. "One of the guest rooms. You slept through the night, though I have to say that I thought I'd have to find a hammock or something until your wings folded themselves away."

Ah, that was right. Her wings had retracted...but if they'd disappeared, then-!

Apparently knowing what she was thinking, Issei turned a bit red. "Yeah...I hadn't realised that your outfit wasn't...well, you know, _real_. While the whole 'magical clothes' thing is kinda cool, it seems a bit impractical if it falls apart overnight." He gestured to the sheets covering her. "I'm afraid I don't have any female clothing around besides the stuff my mum left, and she's not as...well, she has different sizes. So, I guess I can only apologise."

The raven haired Fallen stared at the teen beside her for a long moment, before speaking slowly. "It's...fine..." It was hardly the first time someone had seen her naked; indeed, it was far from the first night she'd spent unclothed in someone else's bed. But all the same, waking up naked after being defeated in battle was rather unsettling. "Why..." She coughed, and brown eyes widened slightly.

"Damn, I actually forgot didn't I? Breakfast first, talk later." Issei reached up to seemingly empty air, and a glowing red Magic Circle manifested there. His fingers danced over it, switching out symbols, replacing phrases, rearranging the shapes. After about twenty seconds, he stopped, letting the circle disappear. "Right – you should be able to sit up now, and move your arms. You can't move beyond the bed yet, but apart from that you should be fine."

Cautiously, the Fallen Angel started moving. One hand was moved to hold the bedsheets in place, while the other helped push her into an upright sitting position. The brunet watching her frowned. "You can't eat breakfast with only one hand..." He thought for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Right, give me a minute."

With that, he left the room.

Sitting on the bed, Raynare leaned back against the headboard and tried to understand what was going on. She had, well, she _thought_ she had successfully found her way inside the teen's guard, knowing that he possessed a powerful Sacred Gear of some kind. She'd gone through the motions on the date...though she had to admit, at some point she'd come to enjoy it. The pleasant conversation, the lack of lustful glances, the genuine kindness he'd shown her... It had all been...nice.

Then had come the evening and the park, and she'd put herself in the frame of mind to do what she needed to. She'd released her transformation...and looking back, that's where it had gone wrong. He hadn't been scared, hadn't been surprised, hadn't even _blinked_ as her wings unfurled and she summoned her battle outfit.

She should have known, but all her focus was on getting through the act without backing out. She _had_ to kill him – there was no other choice. And she'd thrown her spear...only for him to dodge it easily, as if he'd known it was coming for minutes beforehand.

What were the reasons he had given her? He wanted to know the reason behind her attempt, the person who ordered it... The raven-haired woman's eye twitched again. Apparently he had really wanted a date – enough to take out a murderous Fallen Angel, even. Just what the Hell kind of man was he?! - but he'd had one more reason.

What she was protecting...

Telling him would be a risk – a massive risk. So far, the Emperor seemed benevolent; she was unharmed, her restraints were no more invasive than necessary, and her modesty had been protected...for the most part. But there was always the chance that it was an act; that he was waiting to show his true colours.

But if he _wasn't_ ; if he was a good person, as he appeared to be; then, just maybe...

"Found it!"

She jerked her head to the doorway as the teen entered, grinning and carrying a garment of some kind. "It's my old man's dressing gown. It's the biggest thing we've got around here, I'm afraid – you wouldn't be able to close mine or my mum's, so..." He shrugged. "Watcha gonna do."

Brown eyes closed for a moment, then both his hands began to glow a dull crimson. Raynare tensed, but Issei simply passed the dressing gown through the suddenly visible curve of the barrier with a few sparks of energy, placing it on the bed before following it with the breakfast tray.

"Right," he gestured to the food and clothing. "Get that on, and get some food in you. I'll be back in about fifteen minutes, once I've cleaned up downstairs. At that point, we'll talk, okay?"

Not waiting for her to say anything, he tossed a wave over his shoulder and left the room, pulling the door closed. There was no click of an extra lock, no wave of power to indicate an alarm spell or similar. It was to give her privacy, rather than to constrain her further.

The Fallen stared at the now-closed door for a long moment, before looking down to the cotton garment and the steaming food set across her knees. Well, odds were he didn't wait this long just to poison her...

{~o~}

Fifteen minutes later, true to his word, Issei knocked on the bedroom door. "Raynare?" He called. "Can I come in?"

There was a moment of silence, before a mostly collected female voice called back. "Yes."

Pushing open the portal, he crossed to the seat beside the bed, settling down so that his head was level with his guest's. She had donned the dressing gown, and the brunet found himself thankful that his old man was built so similarly to Scott; if he'd been any thinner, she would never have been able to wear it.

"How was breakfast?" He asked, trying to keep things light. He wanted her to feel at ease, after all, not pressured.

The Fallen's cheeks took on a rosy hue, and she looked to the tray on her lap. It had been picked clean; nothing remained but some traces of egg yolk and the tomato sauce from the beans. "It was...good." She finally told him, and he took her compliment as a good sign – of both his cooking, and of her comfort level.

"I'm glad to hear it." He smiled at her, before rubbing his hands together. "Now, we can talk."

Raynare tensed up immediately, her eyes darting back and forth while her arms raised slightly in defense. Right – not _that_ comfortable yet. Issei chuckled, hoping to defuse her anxiety with good humour. "Don't worry – I'd just like the answers to a couple of questions, and we'll decide what's going to happen afterwards."

Dark amethyst eyes appraised him, scrutinising his features for deceit they would not find. "What questions?"

Ah, that was a good sign – she was willing to consider answering him. "Well, it's not much," he told her. "I already know my Sacred Gear is why you were going to kill me; but from how reluctant you seemed, it probably wasn't your idea. So, I was just wondering – who set you on me?"

The woman stared at him for a long moment, then down to her lap, where her fingers started playing with one another. "...No one. No one ordered me to kill you; I acted on my own." She glanced up at him again. "I didn't really want to; but I was going to anyway."

 **'Interesting...I believe she is being truthful.'** Ddraig's tone was curious, and his comment was supported by a grunt from Scott.

"That's interesting..." Issei echoed, tapping his chin. "And I bet that the answer to my other question will tell me why." The Fallen tensed up again, obviously aware of what he was going to ask next.

"Tell me, Raynare, you Fallen Angel who was willing to push through with a murder you didn't wish to commit; what was your reason? What did you wish to protect so badly?"

The woman shifted uncomfortably on the bed, and Issei leaned back in his chair to make sure she had enough space. He remained quiet, letting her decide whether or not she wanted to talk to him about this. For a creature of sin, he'd found her to be quite reasonable, and apparently she had at least some qualms with murder; that told him she wasn't a lost cause. She was a woman in distress, and it was his job to look after her if she'd let him.

"...There's a girl," She spoke finally, her gaze burning into his own as she looked for any sign of malice or ill intent. "A former nun, by the name of Asia Argento. The Church excommunicated her, and my... _superior_ 'recruited' her. She's coming here, soon..." Raynare took a deep, shuddering breath. "She's an innocent. She was kicked out for healing a Devil she didn't know was a Devil, despite not having a single other sin to her name, despite being hailed for years as a Holy Maiden and a miracle healer."

The woman clenched her fists. "When she arrived, we are...we were to carry out a ritual on the next full moon, and extract her Sacred Gear, so that _his_ faction can make use of its power." The way she spat the word 'his', Issei didn't need his ability to read people to understand that Raynare had a deep-seated, soul-rooted hatred of him.

"It would kill her," she whispered. "That bastard wanted me to kill an innocent girl, just so he could get his hands on her power." She looked down at her hands. "I thought...I thought, if I could get _you_ instead, bring you to the edge of death and hold you there until the day, I could placate him. Maybe I could at least buy more time for her...so I could plan to get her away."

Her head hung low, face shrouded by raven hair, the Fallen let her hands relax and fall to the covers. "That's it. I couldn't bear the thought of killing that girl, so I was going to kill you in her place."

There was silence in the bedroom. Issei sat back, fingers steepled, thinking and muttering under his breath as he conversed with his tenants. On the bed, Raynare simply waited for judgement to be passed. This was an incredible risk she was taking – but this was the current generation's Red Dragon Emperor, he who possessed the soul of the Great Welsh Dragon in the form of the Boosted Gear, one of the Thirteen Longinus which had the potential to slay a God.

If anyone could stand up to... _that man_ , it would be this person. She could only hope he truly was the person he appeared to be, or otherwise she had likely just damned herself and Asia both.

Finally, after several minutes, the brunet stopped sub-vocalising and refocussed his attention on the Fallen. "Fallen Angel Raynare," he began, and she felt compelled to listen.

"You willingly, and in full knowledge of your actions, planned and attempted to execute the deception and murder of a seventeen year old unaware of the supernatural world. This is a fact that cannot be ignored."

Her hands clenching again, the woman started cursing herself for ever thinking that telling him the truth was a good idea. She should have known, should never have placed her trust in someone like this... "However."

Her head shot back up, her gaze meeting brown. They were sombre, but there was a glint of something there that may well have been humour – or was it, perhaps, compassion?

"Your reasons for doing so were pure and true, worthy of any true Angel. You acted in defense of an innocent, at great personal risk to yourself. This also cannot be ignored." Issei stood up. "In a just world, these facts would balance one another."

Just as her rising hopes seemed fit to burn, Raynare saw the roguish grin on her host's face. "Fortunately for you, this is not a just world – and I'm about as biased as they come."

The Magic Circle flared into life again, and Issei pressed his left hand to its surface. There was another flash, and then the various lines and symbols which composed scattered across the air like shattered glass. Briefly, a scarlet dome shimmered into view around the bed, formed of countless interlocking characters – then, it dimmed and vanished, its quiet hum of power disappearing too.

A touch shakily, Raynare looked to the brunet beside her, who was extending a hand to her. Slowly, carefully, she placed her own hand in his, and swung her legs over the side of the bed. Pressing down on his arm, she rose too; without her boots, she found she was actually about an inch shorter than him. "Shall we start over?"

He took the hand that he was holding, pressing his lips gently to its back. "I'm Issei Hyoudou, the Red Dragon Emperor."

Staring back at him for a long moment, a hopeful and delicate smile spread across the Fallen Angel's face. "I'm Raynare, former Guardian Angel."

A genuine smile made its way across Issei's features. "It's good to meet you, Raynare. I think this is going to be the start of something great."

His eyes took on a determined shine. "Now, tell me about this girl who needs protecting."

{~o~}

"So it's decided?"

Rias nodded, looking out the window of her club room, Akeno standing behind her. "Yes. I'll approach him."

The dark haired girl behind her frowned slightly. "And if he isn't receptive to your advances?"

The red-headed Devil pressed her fingers to the cool glass before her, a familiar set of troubled features looking back at her from the crystalline surface. "Then...I suppose my last chance will be gone."

A supportive hand landed on her shoulder, and the young woman held it tight. She just had to hope that he'd be willing to listen to her. Otherwise...the results didn't bear thinking about.

'Issei Hyoudou...please, be the kind of person you seem to be...'

* * *

Compendium:

 **Onee-sama** : A respectful term for an older sister.

 **Youkai** : Catch-all term for native Japanese supernatural species, ranging from Nekomata (cat demons) to Kitsune (fox spirits) and everything in between. Largely humanoid with animal traits, or vice versa.

 **Ano** : Similar to 'Alors' in French, or 'Um' in English. Doesn't really have a meaning, just a sound that you make while thinking or trying to get attention.

 **Kawaii** : Cute

 **Ryushinchi no Jutsu** : Art of the Gentleman Dragon, a precursor phrase to a branch of Issei's personal techniques in this fic.

 **Anmin** : Restful Sleep or Good Night's Sleep, a technique of Issei's creation which uses his Draconic Aspect of Dominion to invade the target's body with magic, overwhelming their will and putting them to sleep for between twelve to twenty four hours according to their strength relative to Issei. Doesn't work on targets with a powerful will, or greater strength than the user. (Trivia: Issei invented this technique for dealing with excitable children, overworked parents and for getting out of sticky situations with law enforcement.)

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Hello everyone, and welcome to the Manners Maketh Dragon! This is my first foray into Highschool DxD, though I have some experience writing in other fandoms in other places, so if anyone spots glaring errors please let me know – that's what reviews are for, after all.**

 **So, the point of divergence here is, obviously, the OC – Scott. There's a whole story behind him, but it will be revealed in due time. However, what is obvious has already been stated; his influence awakened Issei's connection to Ddraig early, and he also guided his personality somewhat. Issei's character has always revolved around women (he's the goddamn Oppai Dragon, people!) but here it's in a different way.**

 **He'll be a fair bit more powerful and diverse than in canon, having been living a different kind of life, but I'm aiming to include that same core of a fiercely loyal young man with the drive to achieve his ambitions – in this case, to become the greatest Gentleman he can, instead of to build himself a harem.**

 **Which will probably happen anyway, to be honest, but that's all in the future.**

 **So, canon's already off the rails. Raynare's way out of character, she didn't kill Issei and he's decided to work with her. Meanwhile, Rias is faced with a Longinus class human who may or may not be aligned with the Fallen, who might be the key to all her dreams or the torch that burns them. And I'm just getting started.  
**

 **It's only going to diverge more, and at high speed too, so you have been warned.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. If you have suggestions, something you liked or something you didn't, drop a review and I'll try and include more of it or fix the issue. I do this for enjoyment, both mine and that of my audience; if you aren't happy reading it, I'm not happy writing it.**

 **Hope to see you next time – ja ne!**


	2. A Gentleman is Always Prepared

"Normal Speech"

'Thought / Scott Speaking'

' _Issei Thinking'_

 **'Ddraig Speaking'**

 **"Technique"**

 **[Announcements]**

{~o~}

Raynare and Issei spoke until noon that day, the Fallen Angel informing her new host of the circumstances surrounding her. Apparently she was the designated leader of a cell for the Grigori, the Fallen Angel faction as led by the Fallen Governor Azazel. She had been placed in command of three other Fallen Angels, a contingent of fifty Stray Exorcists and one 'special' operative.

She was the most powerful combatant they'd had, but from what Issei could tell that wasn't saying much. Dohnaseek, her second in command, was the next most dangerous; followed by Mittelt and then Kalawarner. However, the differences were largely nominal; they all hovered between nine and ten times the power of a normal human, none of them breaking that barrier.

The contingent of Strays were, to put it bluntly, cannon fodder. Apart from their Light-based weapons, they were just ordinary humans who got kicked out of the Church and ran to the Grigori.

However, the 'special' operative, Stray Exorcist Freed Sellzen...he was another matter.

Kicked out of the Church at age seventeen for killing anyone and everything that got in between him and anything he could get away with slaughtering, he was certifiably insane; he admitted himself that he only joined the Exorcists so he could kill people.

Having left, he kept right on slicing his way through Devils, both Stray and otherwise, as well as anyone he could track down who had summoned one, often continuing on to their immediate family and neighbours. He was a serial killer of the worst kind, his victims often showing signs of torture and sexual violence both pre and post mortem.

He was the worst kind of human, closer to a demon than a man. And he was also loose in Kuoh, based out of the old Church. The one where Raynare's superior had been sending an innocent former nun.

"No way in Hell." Was the brunet's simple and succinct response to that, echoed by Scott, supported by Ddraig, and very well received by Raynare. With basic descriptions of each Fallen and of Sellzen, Issei knew what he was facing now. Raynare's attack on him had been a personal mission, so as far as her cell knew she had just up and vanished, and was probably dead. That gave them the element of surprise, meaning that they would have the chance to intercept Asia before she was in their clutches.

They set out some basic plans, and when that was done, Issei left the woman be to construct another disguise. It was one of the only techniques that a low-level Fallen such as her could manage, apparently, alongside her Light Spears and flight (apparently the Three Factions' flight was based far more on magical propulsion than biology and physics.).

About five minutes later, Yuuma Amano stepped out of the guest room, and the duo set off.

The first thing they did was set about buying Raynare a wardrobe that wouldn't break down into component magic after a few hours or if it was disrupted by a powerful enough magical force. The Fallen took it as a chance to get a better idea of her host's personality and nature, by asking for his help in picking out new clothes.

Including underwear, of course.

She found that he rose to the challenge, despite having little expertise in such things and not really being able to offer an opinion beyond "You'd look good in anything, Raynare." (By Azazel, how long had it been since she _genuinely_ blushed at a compliment? Since she was actually offered such a genuine compliment, with no ulterior motive?) Still, he did his best, even if he did end up quite red in the face before she allowed him to escape the lingerie store.

As they left, she could hear some of the other shoppers whispering to each other. "So cute together...wish my husband could stick it out like that...if I was a few years younger..."

Frowning to herself, the raven-haired woman secured her arms around Issei's left arm. The brunet looked across at her, one eyebrow raised in question. "The more we appear to be a couple," she informed him, "the better we fit in, and the less attention we draw."

The Emperor considered for a moment, then nodded and smiled at her. "Right then, Yuuma-chan. In that case, would my wonderful girlfriend care for ice-cream?"

Her jaw almost dropped at how easily he slipped into the role, but she shook it off and smiled back; the action seemed far easier than when she normally donned a mask. "I'd love some, Issei-kun."

And so they wandered off, though Issei gently extracted his arm after a few steps and took her hand instead.

A Gentleman didn't infringe on a lady's personal space without good reason, after all.

{~o~}

About two hours later, the two arrived back at the Hyoudou home, several thousand yen lighter. "Right," Issei muttered aloud as he went for his keys. "So. We got you several new outfits, some generic stuff that should hopefully fit Asia when she arrives, enough food to last three people for at least a week, and we've confirmed that Freed hasn't started murdering people left and right." He looked across at Raynare. "That everything?"

The woman tapped her chin with an index finger a few times, before nodding. "I believe so. Though, there _was_ that Familiar following us..."

The door opened with a whisper of power, the wards feeding information to their creator even as they recognised his power signature. The two walked in, as Issei nodded. "Going by its signature, it probably belonged to the Devils from my school."

The brunet locked the door behind them, the house's magical field sealing itself once more as Raynare chewed on her lower lip. "Is this going to be alright? I mean, if they know you're associating with a Fallen Angel..."

Issei waved off her concerns as he headed to the kitchen, setting down the bags containing women's clothes at the foot of the stairs. "It'll be fine. I can handle myself, but I doubt it'll come to blows in any case. I'm _fairly_ certain that it's Gremory-senpai who's the boss around there, and she's always seemed reasonable. I'll talk things over, sooth any ruffled feathers, and maybe see if they can offer anything toward keeping Asia safe."

Raynare leaned against a door frame, tapping her heel against the wall behind her. "Gremory, huh? Do you understand the importance of that name?"

Issei nodded without turning around. "Gremory, one of the Seventy-Two Pillars of Devil Society, right?"

"That's correct," the woman acknowledged, "but the one you go to school with? _Rias_ Gremory? She's the current Heiress to the family – and Sirzechs Lucifer's little sister."

The brunet froze in place, halfway through placing a bottle of milk in the fridge. Completing the motion with the bare minimum of shaking, he turned almost robotically to face his guest. "You mean... _that_ Lucifer? One of the Four Devil Kings? The Crimson Satan?"

A grave nod from Raynare.

Slumping back against a cupboard, Issei rubbed at his eyes. "Right. So hostilities with Gremory-senpai just went from avoid-if-possible to bow-and-scrape-to-avert-utter-destruction. Oh, boy."

'Remember my teachings, Issei.' Came the solemn tones of Scott, level headed as always. 'A Gentleman is always accommodating to a woman's family; they are respectful of the elder siblings, kind to the younger siblings, do not flinch from the shotguns of the fathers, and _always_ agree with the mothers.'

"Right...right...remember the Code..." He muttered to himself, trying to calm down. He'd heard a great many stories of Sirzechs Lucifer's battle prowess from Ddraig; and the final result was that the man's name was enough to scare the bejeezus out of him.

Getting himself together, he returned to sorting his purchases. "Okay. Thanks for the heads-up Raynare; I'll keep it in mind when I speak with her."

Violet eyes remained fixed on the back of Issei's head, and their owner nodded slowly, adding 'Knows when he's outclassed, but stands his ground anyway' to her growing list of characteristics attached to Issei Hyoudou. "Just so long as you stay safe; without your help, keeping Asia safe becomes much harder."

Issei glanced over his shoulder, brown eyes hard with determination. "I haven't forgotten, Raynare. I'll find her, and I'll keep her safe – even if it costs me my life." Then he turned back around, and continued with his task, simultaneously planning their dinner for that night.

{~o~}

Sunday had passed uneventfully. As was his ritual, as soon as he awoke Issei looked to one of his prized possessions; a picture of two children, one obviously a younger version of himself, the other a widely smiling figure with oak-brown hair and purple eyes, dressed in a tank-top and shorts.

He yawned and stretched, then rested two fingers on the shelf before the picture, where a simple silver cross rested. "Be safe and be well, Irina-chan."

It wasn't quite a prayer; after all, he was a Dragon, and they were subservient to none. A Dragon may choose to acknowledge a debt, may attach themselves to someone, may even follow their orders – but only out of respect. They would not be subjugated, would not be bribed, tempted or threatened; one of their kind would only ever exist as an equal or a superior, and that meant that God was acknowledged, but not worshipped.

Instead, he simply wished for his childhood friend to be happy and healthy, and hoped that she knew he was thinking of her. She had been a big part of his inspiration in leading the life of a Gentleman, after all, and he'd sincerely promised to never forget her or let her pass from his thoughts.

After that, he and Raynare spent the day training with one another in a local park after Issei set up a basic barrier to stop normal humans wandering inside. The brunet had been training in close combat and magic under Scott for a very long time, and his Draconic abilities had been tutored by Ddraig. As a result, he was a highly dangerous combatant even before he started Boosting, and he kicked the Fallen Angel all over the place, with a break for lunch and ending at sunset.

Once they returned to the Hyoudou home, the Fallen zombie-shuffled her way through eating a hearty meal, then retired to bed. Unbeknownst to her, once she fell asleep, Issei ghosted into the room and quietly constructed several magic circles around her. Scott had specialised in battle magic, but he'd picked up enough battlefield medicine for Issei to jury rig a regeneration acceleration field around Raynare's bed. Unfortunately, it was energy-intensive enough to require Issei power it himself instead of letting ambient magic to the job.

Not for the first time, as he yawned his way back to his bed, he found himself wishing that his house was built on a leyline. There were a couple in the city, but one was a Stray Devil hotspot and the other could only be properly accessed at Kuoh Academy. As such, unless he wanted to make an explosive debut on the local Devils' radar, it was better to just sleep it off.

{~o~}

Monday rolled around, and Raynare found herself coming awake to a distinct lack of the aches and pains she had been expecting. A quick examination of her body revealed that the various scrapes, bruises, lacerations and other injuries she'd suffered during her 'training' with the Red Dragon Emperor had vanished.

There was only one explanation for that, and once she was dressed she headed downstairs. It was about half seven, and she found Issei eating cereal, reading the newspaper. He looked up at her once she entered the kitchen, smiling widely. "Good morning, Raynare. Would you like me to make you something?"

She shook her head, moving to the cupboard where she vaguely remembered him placing the cereal the other night. "No, thank you." She collected the box, pausing momentarily. "But, seriously – thank you. For last night."

She glanced back at Issei, whose brown eyes sparked slightly as he grinned. "No need to thank me, Raynare – it would be unbecoming of a gentleman to offer a lady injury and not then make reparation."

The Fallen snorted, but smiled to herself as she moved to get some milk from the fridge. "Yeah yeah, you're a real gentleman. What ever happened to 'don't hit girls'?"

Issei chuckled. "I realised that of all the people who can put me in my place, at least half are female."

That got a proper laugh out of Raynare, and he joined in after a few seconds.

When he arrived at school about an hour later, he was still wearing a massive grin after the Fallen had bade him to come home safe at the door. Yes, there were days it paid to be a gentleman.

{~o~}

The day went by without much incident. Classes were long and rather dreary, but he focussed and got through them. A Gentleman was knowledgeable, able to make easy conversation about many things or aid with miscellaneous tasks. He never knew when something he learned would be useful, so he tried to always pay attention.

The smiles on his parents' faces when his report cards came back were always nice too.

Still, after the final bell rang and he wondered if anything was going to happen at all, the chatter in the room suddenly rose to a crescendo and the brunet turned around.

"Hello, Hyoudou-san."

Immediately recognising his peer standing in the door, Issei smiled widely. "Good afternoon, Kiba-san. You're here to collect me, I take it?"

When the blond offered a nod of confirmation, Issei picked up his now-packed bag and crossed the room, paying little attention to the blossoming rumours or the varied glares and curious glances. "Then please lead the way, Kiba-san."

{~o~}

The two young men left the main school building together, crossing the campus in amiable silence. Issei and Kiba didn't talk very much, but both were aware of each other; they each followed similar codes, after all, and it was the way of the gentleman to acknowledge others who upheld their lofty ideals.

They arrived at the old school building, and the brunet felt the tell-tale humming of a barrier spell well before they crossed its threshold. ' _Basic aversion ward, it feels like._ ' He thought idly, comparing it to his own version. Though they functioned similarly, he believed this one was more powerful. ' _It's to be expected, I suppose – Devils are naturally magical creatures, after all._ '

The blond lead him up a flight of stairs and along a corridor, and they eventually reached a door where Kiba stopped. He knocked several times, and a female voice called for them to enter. They did so, and the two gentlemen entered, Kiba in the lead.

"Issei Hyoudou-san to see you, Buchou." The blond announced, then moved away, leaving Issei standing in the doorway and glancing around quickly.

The room contained, as he had suspected, all the members of the Occult Research Club. Koneko Toujou, Kuoh's unofficial 'mascot', was eating something sweet on a couch, while sitting opposite her was Akeno Himejima, who he'd seen looking at him along with Rias the other day. The Gremory Heiress herself was seated behind a desk, eyes focussed on him as her fingers were steepled. Kiba had leaned himself against the wall, keeping an eye on everything like a bodyguard.

And each one of them were naturally radiating a dark-tinted energy that Ddraig confirmed as being demonic in nature.

"Issei Hyoudou-san," Rias greeted. "It's good to meet you face to face, at long last."

The brunet smiled, bowing to forty five degrees and bringing his right arm across his chest at a diagonal to touch his left shoulder as he did so. "It's good to meet you too, Rias Gremory-san. It's not every day a lowly kohai such as myself gets to meet an esteemed Lady such as you, after all."

"Ara, ara...you're quite the flatterer, Hyoudou-san." That was Akeno, chipping in with a beatific smile, her eyes narrowed to slits as seemed to be customary with her.

Issei turned his smile on her, matching her expression almost flawlessly. "I give credit where credit is due, Himejima-san. Please pardon me for not remarking upon your own appearance first, but if my guesswork is accurate, I do believe Gremory-senpai is the ultimate authority among this group?"

Expression unchanging, the other half of the Two Great Onee-samas nodded. "That would be correct; Rias is our King."

The brunet nodded to himself, turning once more to a bemused Rias. "Ah, this must be the Evil Piece system I have heard tell of? Details are scarce, but I seem to recall there was something to do with Chess?"

The redhead nodded. "You hear correctly, Issei-san. May I call you Issei?"

"Of course, Gremory-senpai. Though, if I might be so bold, may I address you as Rias?"

The Heiress nodded, a beatific smile of her own appearing. "Of course, Issei-san."

"My thanks," he smiled back at her. "Now, I suppose we are all aware of each other by now?"

The reply came from the only person who hadn't spoke yet, her quiet voice emanating from her place on the couch. "You're the Red Dragon Emperor – the wielder of the Boosted Gear."

Nodding with a smile, not at all surprised that they'd figured it out after Ddraig's musings from the previous week, Issei replied. "That I am, Toujou-san. And unless I am wide of my mark, you are all Devils."

Rias' smile was genuine as she nodded. Apparently she appreciated someone who was on the level. "Yes, we are Issei-san." Apparently that was a cue, because there was a surge of demonic energy, and then a pair of bat-like wings sprang from each of the occupants' lower backs.

The brunet let out an appreciative whistle, idly wondering if he'd ever figure out how to pull off a trick like that. **'I can't say it's impossible Partner,'** Ddraig rumbled, **'but no wielder of mine so far has managed to manifest wings outside of the Juggernaut Drive.'**

Just the mention of that technique drew a barely-noticeable shudder from the brunet. The Boosted Gear's Ultimate form, it sacrificed the user's sanity and their life force to channel the full fury of the Great Welsh Dragon, which would proceed to tear the world around it to shreds, leaving nothing behind but a dead wielder once its rampage ended.

Most definitely _not_ a good trade off for wings. Still, he'd figure it out one day.

If they were willing to prove themselves, he may as well do likewise. " **Boosted Gear.** "

The familiar rush of power rose up inside him, the lighting in the room going up a notch momentarily as the crimson gauntlet built itself up around his left arm. The final wisps dispersed as he clenched his fist, the Draconic aura it emitted immediately noticeable even in the face of four demonic auras.

"The Boosted Gear..." Rias breathed, her eyes fixed on the Longinus. "To think I'd actually get to see it up close..."

Issei let her look for a good ten seconds before clearing his throat politely, prompting the Devil to break out of her trance. She flushed a bit, settling back in her seat from where she'd been leaning forwards. "My apologies, Issei-san." She mumbled.

The brunet waved her off. "It's nothing, Rias-senpai. Your reaction is similar to mine, after all." He offered her a disarming smile, and she returned the gesture. "So, shall I ask why I'm here? We've been living alongside one another for a year now with no issue. What's changed?"

He knew damn well, but he wanted to see how she phrased her answer. He was fairly sure she realised that as well, because a calculating look appeared in her eyes as she once again steepled her fingers.

"As you say," she began, "we've lived without issue for the past year. However, we recently gained a better idea of your nature, and I wished to approach you with a certain offer." Here, she gestured to the still seated Koneko, who had returned to her snacks. "I had Koneko-chan keep an eye on you, so that I could get a better idea of how to do so."

The white-haired girl didn't react to being included at all, and Issei simply nodded to himself. He hadn't actually noticed her; he'd simply assumed that Rias had been keeping tabs on him via well-concealed familiar. Apparently, the younger girl had some experience in suppressing her magical signature.

"Last week, she informed me that you had been approached by another party – one of the Fallen Angels which have settled in the city." Here, Issei almost raised an eyebrow. So, they'd known about it – however, they had made no move to approach him in the run-up to the date. They'd been testing him. He didn't let his comprehension show though, his features arranged into polite curiosity.

"She continued to observe you throughout the day, and towards the end she witnessed the confrontation between you and the Fallen. She then kept an eye on you until you reached your home, and reported back to me."

An admission that she knew where he lived. Not a big leap, considering Devils apparently ran this school and she was highly placed in that society, but holding that information could be seen as establishing a position of power.

The young woman leaned back in her chair. "So, I decided we should meet with you. To try and understand your plans, since you apparently chose to spare an aggressor, going so far as to offer her sanctuary in your own home, despite her nature."

"Ah," Issei snapped his fingers, as if just coming to a conclusion. "So, you wish to know if I'm siding with the Fallen Angels and plan to wipe you, your club, the Student Council and Kuoh Academy off the face of the Earth, correct?"

Brown eyes took in the whole room as he made his response. He wanted to see how they reacted to what could be seen as a veiled threat.

Koneko's expression didn't change, but she moved herself to better place herself between Issei and Rias. Kiba's hand opened somewhat, as if to grip a hilt that wasn't there, as his upper body leaned forward, one foot placed against the wall to facilitate a launch. Akeno's expression shifted slightly, odd shadows appearing as she began to exude predatory malice. Issei was fairly sure he could see yellow sparks dancing at her fingertips.

Rias herself didn't make any obvious movements, but her steepled fingers were pointed conspicuously in his direction, and the aura around her had gone up a notch in terms of power. Oddly enough, that hadn't happened until he'd mentioned the club. So she cared more for her subbordinates than for herself, eh?

Issei himself kept his expression fixed for a second longer, then allowed the mask to break as his mouth twisted into a genuine smile. "Ah, so it's like that eh?"

Understanding flashed across Rias' face, and she shook her head slightly, acknowledging that she'd been outplayed. "It's okay everyone," she told them. "Issei-san was just probing."

Three pairs of eyes glanced toward the redhead, but each member of the club settled themselves. Issei's smile grew wider. ' _They all have trust in her. Another good sign._ '

 **'Indeed,'** Ddraig chimed in, **'this Devil has inspired loyalty in her followers. She shows promise.'**

'A good lass, it would seem.' Was Scott's input, offering his own support.

"I hope you can forgive me, Rias-senpai, Kiba-san, Toujou-san, Himejima-senpai." He told them all, glancing at each in turn and offering a smile. "But I've not had dealings with Devils before, and I wanted to see what kind of people I would be living alongside." His smile grew wider. "If it helps, I am quite pleased."

Rias accepted the compliment with a regal nod, and the mix of a slight grunt from Kiba, a giggle from Akeno and a slightly warmer silence from Koneko gave him his other answers. "To give you your answer, Rias-senpai," he continued, "yes, I have taken the Fallen Angel Raynare into my home. However, perhaps I should explain the circumstances."

So he did, informing the group of how he suspected the woman had been kept under her superior's thumb through some form of threat, how she'd made a desperate plan to save an innocent, how that plan had initially gone incredibly wrong but had led to Issei deciding to back the mission himself.

"And that's it," he concluded. "Raynare and I are going to keep Argento-san safe as soon as she comes within our sphere of influence. As this will likely provoke the contingent at the Church, I plan to take advantage of their reaction to remove the threat. What happens after that is anyone's guess, though I will be offering accomodation to both Raynare and Argento-san if they will accept."

Rias tapped her chin with a finger. "Ah, I think Kiba-kun mentioned this – 'never leave a woman in distress', correct?"

The brunet grinned. "Indeed, Rias-senpai; one of the core tenets of the Gentleman's Code." A hum of affirmation came from the blond against the wall, and the Gremory heiress nodded idly.

"Well, I believe I understand the situation now. You've allayed any fears I might have had, Issei-san. In fact, I do believe I feel better knowing that someone with such power as you possess lives by such a selfless code."

Issei bowed his head. "I do what any man should do, Rias-senpai. Nothing more and nothing less."

The redhead shook her head. "And so modest, as well..." She looked at him out the corner of her eye, a coy grin stretching her lips. "You wouldn't be interested in joining my Peerage, would you? You've been candid with me, so I'll respond in kind; you're just about everything I could hope for in a Peerage member. You're intelligent, good-hearted and extremely powerful. There are Devils out there who might trade their family members for the chance to have the Red Dragon Emperor in their Peerage."

Issei raised one eyebrow. "But not you, Rias-senpai?"

Rias shook her head, a smaller smile in place now. "No, not me. I'm a Gremory, you see; to us, our Peerage _are_ family, and thus are more important than anything. Tempting though you may be, Issei-san, I would not trade my Peerage for you."

Even as his smile grew wider, Issei knew he'd probably never have a problem with Rias Gremory. Devil or not, she had a good heart; she loved her Peerage, and they loved her in return. They had grown close from that love, and that made them both admirable and very dangerous. His kind of people.

"I will consider it," he told her honestly. "But it would have to wait until after this situation with Argento-san is concluded. Being attached to such a prominent Devil as yourself before entering into combat with the Fallen may not be the most tactically sound arrangement."

The redhead smiled again, nodding in agreement. "I understand perfectly, Issei-san. All I ask is that you think about it." She paused, thinking of something, then continued. "You should also know, if you _do_ make that choice, I'd have no issue with your continued association with Raynare. You have described her as a good person, and while I may find it odd that I can actually say this, I will not discriminate against her based on her race alone."

The brunet's smile grew even wider. ' _Oh yes, this one will go far in time._ ' He bowed again, his smile genuine as he rose back up. "That's good to hear, Rias-senpai. Thank you for having me, and for understanding." He glanced to each of the other Devils in turn. "Kiba-san, Toujou-san, Himejima-senpai. Be well, and have a pleasant evening." With that and another, shorter bow, he turned and left the room without a sound.

{~o~}

As the door swung closed behind the Red Dragon Emperor, Rias reclined in her chair with a wide smile. That meeting, in her opinion, couldn't have gone better.

It would appear that the Issei Hyoudou she had been observing for this past year was, indeed, the real Issei Hyoudou – a Gentleman in every way, a powerful individual who chose to remain humble but wasn't above a little cunning every now and again.

'Oh, I just _have_ to get him in my Peerage. With him, I could take the Underworld by storm! Not to mention...' As her thoughts turned in that direction, her bright smile darkened a touch. That date was getting closer and closer, and her protests were falling on deaf ears, it seemed.

Before she could grow morose, a small hand rested itself on the back of her own, which had clenched around one of her chair's arms. Attached to that small hand was Koneko, whose face remained as impassive as always but who was offering her one of her sweets with her free hand. "It's fine, Buchou."

The Nekoshou was always a girl of few words, but the redhead appreciated them all the same as she offered the younger girl a slightly melancholic smile, taking the sweet and letting the flavour lift her spirits a little.

"So, that is Issei Hyoudou..." The lack of her usual teasing lilt would have been jarring to anyone hearing Akeno's normal tone for the first time, but as the Queen of Rias' Peerage stared at the closed door, her eyes were open and calculating. "A Dragon who would consider being a Devil, and who would take in a Fallen Angel for the sake of helping a nun..."

From the wall, Kiba chuckled. "What do you expect? He's a Gentleman; he'll never turn someone away out of hand." The blond swordsman shook his head. "No, Issei's the epitome of what we others try to achieve. He's James Bond, Alfred Pennyworth and Lucifer himself wrapped up together and distilled."

Grey eyes glanced out the window into the gathering dusk, just barely catching the shrinking silhouette of the man himself as he headed toward the school gates. "If he becomes a part of our Peerage...he'll never turn, never snap, never raise a hand or voice." Kiba turned to his King, and there was a warning tone. "But don't forget, Buchou. He's a Dragon, too – and they don't do subservience."

Koneko hummed from where she'd retaken her seat. "Won't get angry. Will get even."

And as she thought about the young man she had just spoken with, Rias understood what her Rook meant – and sincerely hoped she'd never come into conflict with Issei Hyoudou.

{~o~}

"I'm home!" Issei called out, removing his shoes in the entryway to his home. He'd made it back without incident, thought he realised that he had been gone longer than expected.

Somewhat hurried footsteps made their way from the living room, the raven-haired Fallen running her eyes up and down his frame from the doorway. "You're alright? You were later than I was expecting."

The brunet nodded, casually tossing his satchel up the stairs to rest against the wall without really thinking about it, then unbuttoning his jacket. "I'm fine, Raynare. That meeting ran on a bit longer than I was expecting, that's all."

' _Ah, this sensation...is this what it feels like for a businessman to come home to his loving wife after a long day? Truly, there is no better life than that of a gentleman!_ '

Even as Issei relaxed in the bliss of his situation, Raynare eyed him. "She offered to reincarnate you, didn't she?"

The brunet finally removed his jacket, hanging it over the back of his chair in the kitchen for retrieval the next morning. "Yes," he replied, "she did." He wasn't going to bother refuting it; there was no reason to keep it a secret, and his decision would likely affect Raynare too.

Violet eyes narrowed as the Fallen examined her host, who was now gathering ingredients for dinner. "You obviously didn't accept – not yet, at least. But for some reason I don't think you said no?"

Issei grinned to himself. Raynare was _sharp_. He knew she had some gifts along the lines of infiltration from her highly skilled acting as Yuuma, but her ability to read people would serve her very well – and likely, it already had.

"That's right," he informed her. "I can see ups and downs to both choices, but one way or another I can't become a Devil until after Argento-san is safe and your old cell have been dealt with. So, I told her I'd think about it."

As the Red Dragon Emperor started putting their meal together, Raynare sat at the table and pondered. If Issei became a Devil, she was convinced he'd rise quickly through their ranks. She was fairly sure that it was only High Class Devils that could have Peerages, meaning natural-born Devils like the Gremory Heiress, or Reincarnated Devils that had distinguished themselves in some way.

Issei was a well-trained, highly knowledgeable, quick-witted and politely cunning man with enough firepower to emerge victorious over a God. She was under no illusions as to his competence; he would definitely reach that level. Then, the question became: Did she want to make herself subserviant to Issei?

True, she'd much prefer to work under him than... _that man_. Certainly, she knew he'd treat her well; his every interaction with women she'd observed had been courteous and helpful, leaving a smile on every face.

Except one or two boyfriends, but since he'd never once flirted, there wasn't much they could actually do about it.

But it would mean becoming a Devil; severing her last link with Heaven by giving up her heritage.

Could she do that? Could she turn her back on what she once was, in the interests of securing her future beside the Red Dragon Emperor? It was a long term plan, and one that she would need to consider carefully. That wasn't even considering Asia, who she so hoped to save.

If the nun was to be kept safe, then ideally she would need to be placed with someone who could stand up to and overcome _that man_. People like that were in short supply, and she was sitting in the same house of probably the only one currently residing in Japan.

{~o~}

Elsewhere in Kuoh City, a middle-aged man with black hair and a dirty blond fringe, paused his video game as he sneezed. Rubbing his nose, thereby dragging his thumb through his goatee, he blinked somewhat reddened, light-violet eyes.

"Hmm...I wonder who's talking about me?"

{~o~}

If she could convince Asia to become a Devil, to serve under Issei, then she would be guaranteed his protection. Surely, wouldn't the option of that protection be worth the choice to turn her back on the Church which had abandoned her?

And all of it was, of course, dependent on Issei choosing to become a Devil himself.

There were so many thoughts swirling in her mind, the Fallen pressed her fingers to her temples and groaned slightly.

A short moment later, there was the clink of cutlery as her brunet host set down a knife, fork and a plate of fish and chips. "If I might offer a recommendation, Raynare."

She looked up at him, seeing a sympathetic grin. "Rome wasn't built in a day, freedom wasn't won in a single riot, and no one planned their future in five minutes. Eat, then head off to bed and sleep on it. You don't need to find your answers immediately – you're going to live for a long time, after all."

As he took a seat across from the open-mouthed Fallen, who was trying to understand how he'd managed to read her so effectively, Issei's grin became more light hearted, humour glinting in his eyes. "If I might say so, the lady may prefer to eat her dinner than any passing flies."

Raynare's jaw snapped shut, and she offered a weak glare to her host, before setting about eating.

It was, as always, infuriatingly delicious.

{~o~}

Several hours later, the Fallen lay on what she had come to think of as _her_ bed, and simply wondered.

If she followed the path she was contemplating right now, she would have tied her destiny to Issei's. They would be master and servant, although if her understanding of his character was right then it would probably be in name only. They would likely be with one another until death, bound tighter than most married couples by the magic of the Evil Pieces.

If her wish was to save Asia, then that meant staying alongside the former nun. So, if she wished for them both to be as safe as she could manage, then she had to convince the girl to make the same commitment.

But, she could admit to herself that she didn't need to decide just yet. Issei, should he choose to be reincarnated, _would_ reach High Class Devil – this was a fact. He would establish a Peerage, and having a place in that group would likely do her far more good than harm. But that was a long way off, years at least.

She could be patient, stick with him for now, and then make a decision when the time came. For now, she would be content to accept his hospitality and his aid in saving Asia.

Eternally binding servitude was a topic for a later date.

{~o~}

Several rooms away, Issei stared at his ceiling, thinking along similar lines. The difference, of course, was that he had more than his own judgement to rely on.

"Let's recap," he muttered, seemingly to himself. "If we're reincarnated, then we get all the standard bonuses. Our magic will be more powerful, our body will be more powerful – we'll be overall more badass. We'll even get wings, which I'm man enough to admit are pretty damn tempting.

"On the other hand, we immediately alienate ourselves from agents of the other two factions, who will only be stopped from targeting us by a tentative ceasefire born out of mutually assured destruction. The daytime will weaken us, though that's probably not too big a deal considering how Rias-senpai and the others attend school. Plus, we'll be putting ourselves under Rias' control. We don't know how _much_ though, because those Evil Pieces could do everything from absolutely nothing to completely mind control, and we wouldn't know 'till we took one.

"That about it?"

'I believe so laddie.' If the sound of a tapping foot could have an emotional equivalent, that was what Scott gave off. 'Offering my opinion, it's a fairly sweet deal. Sure, we alienate two other Factions – but let's face it, right now we're fair game for _all_ of them; and I'd rather stand _behind_ that Crimson Satan bloke than across a battlefield from him.

'More power's always good, and we've seen that Rias lass's character now. Working with her wouldn't be so bad, I don't think.'

Both Issei and Scott turned their focus on Ddraig, who let out the closest thing a Dragon could to a hum before replying. **'Several of my previous wielders have been Devils; they tended toward the higher end of the curve so far as power went. I am inclined to accept, but only if we can impress upon that Devil the requirements of working with a Dragon.'**

"Yeah, I figure that'll be the sticking point," the brunet mused. "If she can't understand that she'll be working _with_ us, rather than us working _for_ her, then we'll have to let her down gently. You guys didn't put me through those years of Hell just for me to roll over and dance to someone else's tune at the first whiff of more power."

Feelings of agreement came from both Dragon and Scott, and brown eyes closed as Issei sighed.

"I'll think about it more after Argento-san's safe. I can ask her about the Church, and I've seen as much of the Grigori as I need to in any case. G'night guys."

 **'Goodnight, Partner.'**

'G'night, laddie.'

{~o~}

On a train miles away, but growing closer quickly, a small figure in a blue-gray dress, her golden hair covered by a white habit which fell down to her lower back, turned bright green eyes to the destination name emblazoned in LEDs over the door to the next carriage. "Kuoh City... Maybe I can make some friends there..."

* * *

Compendium:

 **Nekoshou** : A rare and powerful subspecies of Nekomata, renowned for their abilities with Senjutsu (Sage Arts, the ability to use the power of the world itself in combat and to sense the emotions and intentions of others) and Youjutsu (Demon Arts, the power to form illusions). After a certain event, the majority of them have been killed, leaving only two known members of the species.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Hello, once again! This chapter was written back-to-back with Chapter One, and mostly sets groundwork for later events.**

 **Raynare's making herself at home with Issei, and trying to find a path to walk that will do the most good for her and for Asia. Does she seem a tad protective? Don't worry, the reasons behind that will come later.**

 **Issei's trying to decide if leaving his humanity behind is worth the benefits. There are reasons to change and reasons to remain the same, and I'm interested in hearing what you guys think would be the best route. I'm setting up a poll on my profile, it'll last until Thursday the 13th of October, so if you have a vested interest in this story make sure to drop by.**

 **The pieces are being set up, canon's cracking like the fourth wall in a Deadpool strip, and the man who would become the Gentleman King gathers his crew to go in search of-**

 **Wait, wrong script.**

 **Ah, well. Did you see something you liked? Something you didn't? Do you have a suggestion, an opinion, or are you just in that kind of mood? Then leave a review, and help me turn this plot bunny into something of substance.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Ja ne!**


	3. A Gentleman is Always Respectful

"Normal Speech"

/"Foreign Language"/

'Thought / Scott Speaking'

' _Issei Thinking'_

 **'Ddraig Speaking'**

 **"Technique"**

 **[Announcements]**

{~o~}

As he let his feet carry him on autopilot, tracing the familiar route from Kuoh Academy to the Hyoudou residence, Issei appeared to be utterly unaware of his surroundings. His eyes were glazed and unseeing, there was very little agency in his movements, and if not for the fact that he moved through the shoals of people like water down a drain he might as well have been sleep walking.

Instead, he was focussing his, unfortunately rather meagre, sensing abilities.

Sensing was a basic ability attributed to just about anyone with a hint of magical power. Even normal humans could pull it off to a degree, which was one of the primary contributors to the 'Sixth Sense' belief. At their level, all that they could really discern was if a supernatural was nearby, and how dangerous it might be.

As someone who was just stepping over the line from Journeyman Magician, based on Scott's rankings at least, Issei's ability _should_ have been enough for him to identify any and all sources of magical power within a roughly five hundred metre radius, as well as differentiate between them. Unfortunately, however, there was a problem.

He was absolute crap at it.

All three of them had tried to come up with explanations for his complete lack of skill in that direction, hoping to correct it. Unfortunately, however, they could never prove anything. The odds were it was just a point of natural talent – or, lack thereof. Regardless, he was a terrible Sensor; hence, he was forced to devote his entire attention to the act to get even a rough idea of what was going on in a hundred metre radius.

Rather pitiful for someone with his degree of magical experience, but that was life – a Gentleman makes do with what he has.

"I _think_ that might be her..." The brunet muttered to himself, idly sidestepping a gaggle of school girls and walking forward on the road for two paces to get around a businessman, stepping back onto the pavement just in time to dodge a car and ducking a gesticulating teen.

'Good odds, laddie.' Scott concurred. 'It wasn't as prevalent in my time, of course, but I ran into a few Faithful. This feels about right.'

Ddraig growled. **'Yes, I recognise the touch of the One God.'**

The Red Dragon Emperor's relationship with the being that Christians referred to as God was...an interesting one, to say the least.

The Sacred Gears had been crafted by God, using the sealed souls of various supernatural creatures from Dragons to the Fae, and served as prisons for those souls. However, as a secondary effect, they gave the humans to which they were attached abilities which could be used to fight back against supernatural influence.

The Boosted Gear served as Ddraig's prison, and had done since near the end of the Great War between the Devils, Angels and Fallen. At first, the Dragon had been enraged beyond belief, driving his wielders to insanity and quickening their demise. For a long time, to be born with the Boosted Gear was to be born to a cursed life.

It had taken several centuries for the Welsh Dragon to calm down, and even longer still until he was able to see a bright side. Yes, he was trapped in a gauntlet, likely for eternity, the only changes being the voice of his wielder and the environment in which he lived, which was altered to reflect the soul of his current host.

By the time he met Issei, Ddraig had come to find some enjoyment in the quiet of the Boosted Gear. By forming a contract with his wielders, he could still connect to the outside world through their senses. He could see humans advance, could hoard the knowledge he gleaned from each new wielder as he had once hoarded his power, and could even find occasional intelligent conversation. He even got to taste combat, the thrill of battle as he offered his strength to the one whose soul he was anchored to.

So Ddraig had a conflicting stance on the Christian God. He was looked on negatively for daring to seal a Dragon, an act of Domination which one of his race could simply not accept. However, that sealing was, in some ways, a gift – and Dragons looked favourably upon gift givers.

It was quite the conundrum, and the sheer amount of time Ddraig had spent thinking about that God assured Issei that the Welsh Dragon would recognise His blessing anywhere. "Right then. Let's track her down..."

It took about five minutes to slip through the crowds and reach the magical signature that he'd registered on the edge of his senses almost the moment he left school. His approach to tracking via magic was basically 'hot or cold' – he headed in a direction, and if the feeling became stronger then he was getting closer. Foolproof – crude, but foolproof.

"Right," the brunet cast his gaze around, "she _should_ be somewhere around here..."

"Kya!"

The sudden, feminine cry had Issei's head snapping around in an instant, focussing on its source.

Lying on the ground, next to a suitcase which had burst open, was the source of the Faithful signature he'd been following. Striding over quickly, he compared the girl before him to the description Raynare had given him.

Though she wasn't standing, she was definitely petite; perhaps as much as a full head shorter than him. She might have weighed half of him soaking wet, though the conservative blue-grey dress she wore concealed her figure. The snow-white habit she was wearing had come askew, allowing locks of golden hair to glint in the sunlight, and when her eyes opened they were green like summer leaves.

' _Found her._ '

"Are you alright, ojou-sama?" Those incredibly bright green eyes met his own, and he extended a hand to her as he knelt down, holding her gaze.

/"A-ah...thank you very much..."/ The girl took his hand, and he gently placed the other a bit further up her arm to help her stand. She was, indeed, extremely light – even taking into account his somewhat inhuman physique, it felt like he was lifting a pillow.

'I don't recognise that language,' Scott admitted, a frown in his voice and on his face.

 **'Neither do I,'** Ddraig told them, **'but we foresaw this. Partner, try that spell you were working on.'**

Nodding, more to himself than to the girl before him, Issei's eyes unfocussed for a moment as his mind's eye conjured a circle. It was quickly filled in with other circles, triangles and squares, beginning to rotate as its outer rim filled in with characters plucked from every language between Greek and Elder Futhark, phrases in Greek, Latin and even older languages winding themselves through the geometry.

Once it was complete, he exerted his will on the power that he was born with and then trained mercilessly to expand, turning the circle from a fancy thought exercise into an effect on the material world with a mental invocation. ' ** _Ryushinchi no Jutsu: Rikai._** '

Shaking his head a bit to clear it, now that the spell was sustaining itself via his magic, Issei smiled at the slightly confused girl whose hand he still held. /"Ah, I apologise – it's not every day I get to meet such a beautiful girl, I fear I must have appeared very rude..."/

Though her cheeks flushed red, Asia shook her head quickly. /"N-no, not at all! Though you don't have to say such nice things..."/ Then, she seemed to realise that she'd understood him. /"Ah! You speak Italian?"/

' _So that's what she was speaking, eh?_ ' /"I dabble,"/ he told her with a grin. /"To be able to converse with a lady such as yourself is more than worth the learning, in my opinion."/ Her cheeks went red again, and although his expression didn't change, the brunet did an internal happy dance. ' _Ah, those red cheeks, those demure eyes, those shuffling feet! Take that, you damn emos – the nice guys always win in the end!_ '

/"As glad as I am to speak with you, miss, shall we gather your things before we continue?"/ Asia blinked once, before her eyes widened and she immediately knelt down to begin gathering the clothes that had scattered in her fall. Issei crouched opposite her, folding each garment as he picked it up and hanging it over his left arm. He did make sure to leave her unmentionables be, though – shopping with a centuries-old Fallen Angel was one thing; grabbing a nun's panties was an entirely different proposition.

Asia herself gathered the various white and frilly things, while Issei built a decent pile of dresses, blouses, skirts and other things he wasn't well acquainted with. When everything had been collected and returned to the rather large suitcase, he gently stopped her from trying to lift it, instead doing so himself. He slung it over his back in the same hand as his satchel, basking in the look of awe on Asia's face as he so casually lifted the weighty container.

/"Now miss,"/ he smiled at her, /"I must apologise for not introducing myself earlier./" With his free hand, he gently lifted one of hers and brushed his lips across the back, his touch feather light and easy to escape if she were so inclined. /"My name is Issei Hyoudou,"/ he told her as he straightened. /"Might I have the pleasure of yours?"/

Still with a healthy pink glow in her cheeks, the demure blonde clasped her hands together in front of her, but smiled back at him. /"My name is Asia Argento. It's very nice to meet you, Issei."/

/"The pleasure is all mine,"/ he assured her. /"Now, where is a woman such as you going in this city without an escort?"/ Green eyes shifted downward, the girl shuffling her feet a bit.

/"I was headed to the church..."/

/"I believe I know the place,"/ Issei mused. /"Well, if you would allow it, I should love to accompany you on your way."/ He offered her his arm, and after a moment Asia hooked her right arm through his proffered left.

/"Thank you..."/ She mumbled, and the brunet just smiled at her as they began to walk, the pavement seeming to clear in a small radius around them, people stepping out of their path without even noticing they were doing so.

Just one of the many tricks you could pull off when you happened to contain the Dragon who stole the Principle of Dominion from God.

/"I assure you, Asia, that walking with you is more than thanks enough for this small effort."/ Asia flushed red again at that, squeezing his arm a little tighter as they strolled.

Internally, Issei was thinking back to the plan he had Raynare had put together.

 **Two Days Earlier**

"Three days? That's the maximum time we'll have to prepare?"

Raynare and Issei were sitting across from one another at the kitchen table, each with a cup of tea in front of them, discussing how they were going to get Asia away from the Grigori.

"Unfortunately so," the Fallen told him. "Most likely less. We managed to get a pretty good list of notable individuals in the area; your name is on that list, though it's not very high up. Once they realise she isn't coming, they'll immediately begin checking names off until they find her."

Issei grunted, possibilities spinning through his mind. "I just realised – we might not even get the chance."

Raynare frowned. "What do you mean?"

He gestured aimlessly with one hand. "I hadn't thought of it before, but you said that Argento-san was coming here of her own accord because she'd received an offer from your former group, correct?"

The woman nodded, and he continued. "Then we can hardly just intercept her and take her straight here. She must come of her own free will, otherwise there's the risk of her running back to them, which will make keeping her alive a far more difficult prospect."

Raynare thought about it, then cursed under her breath. "You're right, of course – I guess I'd forgotten that she'll think for herself." The woman laughed, the hollow sound bearing no joy. "Is this really what a few centuries of being a Fallen has done to me? I've started to think of humans as objects now?"

A strong hand wrapped around one of her own, which had been curled into a fist in the middle of the table. "It's alright, Raynare." He told her, his sympathetic gaze and encouraging smile preventing her from falling into self-recrimination. "No one could spend the amount of time you have in that situation without consequences. But you're free now; your own woman. You'll heal in time, but until then you are still a good person."

Patting her now loosened hand once, Issei stopped leaning forward, his smile becoming lighter. "I'll admit to not thinking the best of my more mundane peers at times. It can be...frustrating, at times.

"But for now, I believe the answer to our predicament is fairly simple."

One dark eyebrow rose, the Fallen shelving her negativity for another time. "Indeed?"

Issei nodded. "If we need her to come with us of her own will, then all we have to do is expose the cell's true colours." His eyes flashed. "And I know the perfect way to do it."

 **Present**

Issei's musings were cut short by the sound of crying. Both he and Asia turned together, eyes alighting upon a young boy, cradling his knee and sobbing while his mother rubbed his back gently.

Just as he thought she might, Asia gently disengaged herself from his arm and hurried over to the duo, kneeling down in front of the boy with a kind smile, cupping her hands over the wound. /"There there now..."/ She murmured, her words less important than the tone with which she spoke. /"You're a big boy, aren't you? Big boys shouldn't cry."/

The aura surrounding the girl, to Issei's senses at least, went up a few notches as a ripple of green light formed a ring on each of the girl's index fingers. Made from what appeared to be simple iron, a design reminiscent of half a snowflake rested between her first and second knuckles on the outside of her fingers.

The glow persisted, energy flowing from the innocuous accessories and caressing the boy's leg. Having followed the girl, he could see from his position at her left shoulder that the split skin pulled itself together, the bruising fading away as the scrapes smoothed over. In a couple of seconds the damage had vanished completely, leaving an astonished duo. The mother gushed over Asia for a couple of seconds, before leading her son away as the boy waved back at them.

Asia waved in return, while Issei just stood and smiled. ' _A miracle healer indeed._ '

 **'Interesting,'** Ddraig commented. **'It is little wonder she was hailed as a miracle healer, when she possesses the Twilight Healing.'**

'That's one of the few I ran into,' Scott chimed in. 'Saved a great many lives it did.' He paused. 'Except that of its own wielder, in the end.'

Issei just grunted slightly, acknowledging his mentor. /"That's a brilliant gift you possess, Asia."/ He told her. /"I suppose it only makes sense, that you can heal wounds of the body like your smile can so invigorate the spirit."/

The blonde flushed once again, but this time she smiled, her joy overcoming her shyness. /"Yes, this is the gift given to me by God himself, so that I could make the world a better place in His name."/ Clasping her hands together, the former nun mumbled what was likely a prayer as Issei stood by her.

 **'So, she maintains both her faith and her Faith in the face of the Church's rejection,'** Ddraig mused. **'There is a great conviction in this one, that she would remain true to her beliefs despite the pressure of so many others.'**

'Indeed,' Scott agreed, 'the lass has a strong will to go with that kind heart. To think that some bastard'd try to kill her, to take the gift she uses so selflessly and keep it for themselves...'

It wasn't a grunt that came from Issei this time. It was a growl, a sound that came naturally to him as, unseen by Asia, a flicker of colour ran over his irides. ' _It's confirmed. This man, whoever they are, walks a path I cannot condone._ ' Even as he smiled, offering his arm to Asia once more, Ddraig and Scott could feel righteous conviction steeling in Issei's heart. ' _There will be a reckoning. This I swear, as a Gentleman and as a Dragon._ '

{~o~}

/"So this is your destination, Asia?"/

The two teens were standing at the edge of the Church's boundary, looking at it through the wide-open metal gates from beneath the cover of the treeline. The building was gothic, shrouded in shadows and largely disconnected from everything else. Gargoyles were plentiful, and the whole place looked like it was in a pretty advanced state of disrepair.

It looked like it needed a demolition notice, not inhabitants.

/"Yes. This is...where I'm meant to be."/ Glancing down at his companion, Issei felt the fires of resolution in his heart burning higher. The melancholy in her eyes, in her hollow smile as she looked up at him, did not belong on that face.

/"In that case, shall we continue?"/

/"Ah! Issei, it's fine, you don't have to-!"/ As the brunet began to stride forward, the former nun tried ineffectually to slow his advance, pulling back on his free arm.

He barely felt it, though he took care to keep from pulling her over.

Instead, he was focussed on the rising bloodlust emanating from the building in front of him, and the same tainted energy that he'd first felt from Raynare. There was another, too – something even worse. It was largely human, but _twisted_ ; as if something intrinsic had been beaten into a different shape, drowned in filth and horror.

This was the feeling of evil, it would seem. ' _I guess this must be Freed._ '

'Mind yourself, laddie.' Scott warned him, tone hard. 'I've felt his like before; you can never know what they'll do. Half the time they're cowards, then they're running up the shaft of your sword to take a swing at you.' The emotional equivalent of spitting on the ground echoed from the Boosted Gear. 'Things like him...they're not human any more.'

Ddraig didn't say anything; his own rising bloodlust, burning hot with righteous anger and cleansing flame, told it all.

/"Well, if this is the place where a lady such as yourself has been told to come..."/ Swinging Asia's suitcase and his own satchel off his shoulder, the Red Dragon Emperor laid them gently to the side as he approached the door, calling up his power as, hidden by the sleeve of his jacket, magic circles began to light up along the length of his arm, interlocking like a chain as they spun.

/"We must ensure it is worthy of you, mustn't we?"/

In one smooth motion, Issei gently extracted his arm from Asia's grip, picked her up around the waist and placed her behind him. Then he completed his turn, right arm cocked back, flooded with power as Ddraig offered up his energy to combine with Issei's human reservoir.

This wasn't one of his named techniques; it was nothing complex, nothing fancy. Just a basic magic-to-kinetic energy transformation circle, followed by a chain of interlocking amplification circles, and concluding with a directional circle to dictate where all the energy went.

It was basic magecraft – but when you put that kind of force multiplication on a near-superhuman teen, then factor in Draconic energy reserves? _That's_ when it becomes something special.

The palm strike hit dead centre on the Church's doors, kinetic energy rushing forward in amounts normally attributed to trains and freight lorries. The power shook the wood beyond its ability to remain cohesive, dissolving the barriers into a high-velocity rain of inch-long splinters.

Behind what used to be a door was the source of the bloodlust Issei had been feeling, eyes widening and arms rising to protect faces.

Standing in front was a silver-haired man in his mid twenties, dressed in a priest's robes and brandishing a sword hilt in one hand, a bulky hand gun in the other. His features were twisted by a combination of insanity, hatred and arousal – yes, this was most definitely Freed Sellzen.

Behind him were arrayed a large number of figures in white robes, carrying hilts of their own as they cried out and cowered before the wooden rain.

Lined up at the back of the church, hovering on black wings, were the final members of Raynare's cell.

One male, two female. Dohnaseek, clad in a trench-coat and fedora. Kalawarner, blue-haired in a maroon dress baring a ridiculous amount of cleavage. And Mittelt, with the appearance of someone barely starting their juniors years at high school and dressed in the 'gothic lolita' style.

All three flinched at the destruction of the door, but they were out of the line of fire for now, so they stood back.

Scott just spat again. 'Cowards – throwing cannon fodder at us, before they try to sweep in for the kill, undoubtedly.'

Issei concurred, but for now he needed his mouth for other things. Asia was still behind him, trembling slightly, and he glanced over his shoulder to give her a reassuring look. /"No need to worry, Asia. You just keep an eye on our things for now."/ He turned back around, and as soon as they were out of Asia's view, his brown eyes started to glow a dull crimson. /"I just need to tidy up first."/

He began to walk forward, reaching inside his jacket while he did so. He pulled out a single black leather glove, pulling it on to his right hand as he advanced, eyes glowing. The moment it was fully on, he clenched his fist around the garment, and complex lines of symbols lit up all over it, feeding into a magical circle on the back.

At the same time, a whirl of crimson formed the Boosted Gear on his left hand, its emerald glowing with Ddraig's activity as the countdown started.

As he walked, he released all the suppressants he normally kept on his power to avoid detection. The aura of the Red Dragon Emperor reared high, a Dragon in its own right that set most of the Stray Exorcists to gasping as they found themselves unable to breath, while Sellzen hissed and cursed, and the Fallen dropped several inches in the air.

"My name," the brunet began, "is Issei Hyoudou. I'm a second year in high school, an acceptable cook, a fair hand with a needle, and a decent conversationalist."

 **[Boost!]**

"I'm also the Red Dragon Emperor, by the grace of God, the Great Welsh Dragon and my own free will." Quite a few of the Exorcists had collapsed now, passing out from the pressure on their minds or from lack of air, while Sellzen had activated his Light Sabre. It hissed to life, actinic light in the shape of a blade, deadly to the touch.

 **[Boost!]**

Not that it would ever touch him.

The Fallen had conjured Light Spears, yellow, blue and pink weaponry glowing with the once-pure power of God.

 **[Boost!]**

Not that it would dirty his clothes.

"But above all," he continued, settling into a boxing stance, "I am a Gentleman."

He stood ready, one hand sheathed in crimson metal and glowing emerald, the other smouldering with scarlet light as leather creaked in his fist. His eyes were aglow, his hair waving in a breeze as his aura imposed itself on the world around him.

His tone had remained perfectly civil from the moment he demolished the door, and as he leaned forward for his charge, he completed his introduction. "And I do _not_ forgive those who put ladies in distress."

 **[Boost!]**

The first casualty wasn't really anyone important.

He was average in every way; brown hair, brown eyes, a bit over five and a half feet tall, neither thin nor fat, his robes unremarkable, his weapon one of many copies.

Black leather met his face in a right straight, and he went out like a light as the Light Sabre fell from limp fingers, his body rising in an arc that carried him into the wall at the opposite end of the church, where he crumpled against the stone before falling down, sprawling on the floor and laying there, battered but alive.

That was the power of the glove that Issei had fashioned for himself under Scott's careful instruction, as a test to see if he was ready to make the step from Apprentice to Journeyman. It softened his blows _just_ enough, turned enough force to make jelly from a man's torso into a non-lethal strike.

Then it saved that power, running it through the Boosted Gear, where Ddraig channelled it back into Issei. A system that expended just enough energy to incapacitate a given foe based on their innate magic resistance, their physical durability, and several other things determined by the many glowing characters running across the fingers and knuckles of the artifact.

The **Tenohira no Jihibukai-ryu** , or as Issei liked to refer to it affectionately, 'The Bitch Slap'.

It claimed seven more victims in the next four seconds. Three rapid fire jabs, each to a face, each resulting in an airborne exorcist. When they began to raise their arms, he spun rapidly, the back of his hand meeting three sets of ribs in quick succession, shattering bones and causing instant incapacitation, bowling over lines of hostiles with three men-turned-projectiles.

His senses, heightened by magic and adrenaline, warned of a foe approaching from behind, and he turned swinging; his uppercut brought the man to the ceiling, and his subsequent fall took him out of the fight.

Finally, the larger force began to react, turning on the Dragon that had appeared in their midst, his speed and strength multiplied to sixteen times his norm – and that in itself was already two or three times the human norm. Right now, Issei was operating at roughly forty-eight times the power of these opponents, and it showed.

They tried to dog-pile him, no strategy beyond 'stick him with the pointy end', confident that weight of numbers would be more than enough to bury the teen.

They realised their mistake quickly enough.

With a cold grin, their target vanished before the tide of humanity could wash over him, leaving only displaced air. Before they could reset themselves, cries started going up from the other side of the horde, followed quickly by the people who had let them loose.

Another fifteen exorcists went down in rapid succession, their blades never coming close to Issei as he ducked and weaved amongst them, breaking ribs, offering express trips to the ceiling and walls, disabling the odd limb here and there for some variety.

He went through them like the finest sushi chef went through salmon, with precision and grace that never faltered, without ever once allowing his opponents to entertain the idea of victory.

When the number of exorcists conscious had fallen to somewhere around ten, the more competent combatants finally had an unimpeded line of attack. Or perhaps they simply ran out of patience.

Sellzen started screaming profanities, charging forward with his blade held ready, bursts of Light energy flying rapidly from the barrel of his handgun, all impressively close to Issei's centre-mass for someone firing one-handed on the run.

At the same time, a volley of Light Spears began to rain from near the ceiling, spiteful comments and fanatical ranting echoing from the Fallen.

Issei didn't deign to respond. Instead, he met Sellzen's charge head-on, batting away his shots expertly with the Boosted Gear while he sidestepped and spun around the rain of spears, not cutting off the game of chicken as his glowing red eyes held the Stray Exorcist's almost-purple orbs, ablaze with madness.

As the Light Sabre swung for his head, the Red Dragon Emperor simply crouched beneath it, before using his new stance to place the full strength of his legs, back and arms behind his right hand as he applied his will to his glove, consciously lowering the restraints it put on him.

The uppercut he delivered to Sellzen broke his jaw, shattered all his teeth, sliced off a decent portion of his tongue, and whiplashed his neck badly enough to strain his spine, all in the half second before the remaining energy lifted him off his feet like a rocket.

The silver haired monster collided with the ceiling in under two seconds flat, immediately pulverising the aged wood and flying free into the night sky, curving out of sight as he began to fall.

Issei paid him no attention. He was just trash to be taken out, not worth acknowledging beyond the necessary effort.

Finally, he turned his focus to the closely-grouped team of three Fallen hovering the ceiling, his dull red eyes piercing all shadows and easily picking out the fearful expressions they were covering with rage and vitriol.

He didn't bother to listen to their hurled insults as he zig-zagged forwards, fists held up in front of his chest, no Light Spear getting within five inches of him. Then he crouched and pushed off, lifting into the air like a missile.

Dohnaseek's eyes widened, and he tried to get a Light Spear up to defend himself – but he'd just thrown the one in his hand, and he was too slow to create another. He tasted blood as a leather-clad fist buried itself in his gut, eyes going blank and rolling up in his head as even the Fallen's supernatural resilience failed before a Dragon's might.

He went completely limp, not even reacting when he was dragged down to Earth by Issei's own fall, the teen using his unresponsive frame as a makeshift landing pad upon touching down, then immediately rolling away with his remaining momentum to stand and face the two female Fallen.

Both were shaking where they hovered, and although his first instinct was to talk them down, he was well aware that these two would have been willing co-conspirators in Asia's murder if not for Raynare's last ditch gamble. No, there was a time for being a Gentleman, and right now this was not it. He needed to be a Dragon, and see all before him as opposition to be crushed.

...Though he could still pull his metaphorical punches, just a bit.

Both the Boosted Gear and the Tenohira rose up, palms facing the Fallen as magic circles burst to life over both, fairly simplistic in their design but for the crest at their centre.

It was a unqiue sigil, one he had designed himself years and years before. A pair of leathery wings, unfurling from a shield bearing the emblem of two interlocking hands above a scroll bearing minute text reading 'Victoria Iacet in Reverentia'.

This was Issei's symbol, the one he felt best encapsulated what he tried to be. The Ultimate Gentleman, the Red Dragon Emperor – he was both, and he would forge a new balance from his nature. He would become the Gentleman Dragon. That was the goal he had set for his own life, and that was what he worked towards every day.

So he would rain judgement like a Dragon – but like a Gentleman, he would show restraint.

Ddraig fed him power, and the Draconic power augmented his own human reserves as the circles spun up, the Fallen starting to move as if to dodge – unfortunately for them, however, this was a spell tied closely into Issei's own nature, and it charged in under a second.

" **Ryu no Jutsu: Ryu-rīchi!"**

Twin columns of red power shot forward, their ends forming fascimiles of hands as they rose, wrapping around both Fallen as if Ddraig had reached forward and grabbed them. Then, with a grunt of effort, the Red Dragon Emperor swung both his arms down, the now fully encapsulated, screaming Fallen being dragged after the motion as the red energy constructs holding them in place followed Issei's limbs.

There was a massive crashing noise as the arms reached the ground, dust rushing up and cracks running through the flagstones as the church itself seemed to shake. As he allowed the power he was using for the arms to fizzle out, causing the constructs to break apart into motes of light, the teen sighed wearily.

He'd used up a bit more energy than he'd planned to, but apparently he was still having trouble with the whole 'beating up women' thing. By wrapping the Fallen in the arms, instead of leaving them largely uncovered, he had prevented them from actually striking the floor. They would be bruised and discombobulated, but there would be no broken bones or shocked organs – unlike with Freed and Dohnaseek.

Issei glanced around at the ruins of the church. Exorcists lay everywhere, a few groaning, most unconscious, none getting up any time soon. The pews were lying all over the place, some broken from impacts, while a couple of windows bore signs of bodies passing through.

The hole in the ceiling from Freed's exit was raining a smattering of dust and plaster, while Mittelt and Kalawarner's impact had effectively demolished the altar.

Fifty-four casualties. All but one confirmed non-lethal.

Time elapsed: Two minutes.

"Ahhh..." He let out a long breath, the Boosted Gear vanishing in a glow as his eyes returned to their usual brown. Issei set about tugging off his glove, turning around and heading back to the church entrance. "That was rather cathartic."

Standing almost exactly where he'd left her, Asia was staring at him with conflicting emotions on her face. Awe and fear were at war, the conflict growing fiercer as he grew closer.

When he was in arm's reach, she closed her eyes, whimpering slightly...but when a few seconds passed and nothing happened, she dared to look.

Issei was kneeling before her, down on one knee with his head bowed, both hands resting on his left knee where it was keeping him upright.

Eyes fully open, the blonde looked at the man before her in confusion. /"I...Issei...?"/

A shallow nod displayed that the teen had heard her, and now that he had been acknowledged, he spoke. /"Asia, I must ask for your forgiveness."/

Asia frowned, confusion becoming more prevalent as her fear died away, Issei's inaction taking away its fuel. /"My forgiveness...?"/

/"Indeed,"/ Issei agreed. /"You see, our meeting in town was no coincidence. Myself and my accomplice, Raynare, have been planning for your arrival here in the city these past three days. When I was able, I came looking for you, but made no mention of this to you."/

The wielder of Twilight Healing was most definitely confused now. /"But...why? Why would you come looking for me? Why would you do...this?"/ She gestured to the church, and the brunet before her nodded as he accepted her question.

/"Raynare is a Fallen – she once led the group you see before you."/ He gestured to the church himself, still not looking up. /"However, it came to her attention that you were being directed here under false pretenses – and that plans were in motion to claim your life in a ritual to seize your Sacred Gear, for the personal use of the Grigori."/

There was an intake of breath, somewhere between a gasp and a whimper. /"They...they wanted to kill me...?"/ A rustle of cloth and a faint thump heralded the former nun falling to her knees in front of Issei, hugging her arms to herself. /"But...they told me they would give me a place to stay. That I could continue doing God's work..."/

Issei shook his head. /"I am sorry, Asia – but assuming they did not simply imprison you, you would have been forced to serve only them."/ ' _And most likely in a further capacity than just a healer,_ ' He thought to himself. Freed had a long history after all, and there had been no women among those exorcists.

Quiet sobs began to wrack the girl's frame, tears coursing down her cheeks as she found herself, once again, betrayed. /"Is this...my fate?"/ She asked, more of herself than Issei. /"Moving from one master to another, never truly doing good?"/

Asia jumped slightly when a feather-light, yet powerful touch swept across her cheek, one warm thumb brushing the tears away. /"Asia..."/ Issei began, still gently wiping away salty liquid. /"I wouldn't know about fate – certainly, I cannot tell you your future, or how to live your life."/

His voice became stronger, as he cupped her cheeks gently, tilting her eyes to meet his own. /"But I have always lived my life in service to others, after a fashion. And I do not think I have ever found a soul more deserving of what aid I can offer than the one before me now."/

He smiled at her, warm and gentle in a way that the girl hadn't seen since her days in the orphanage. Before Twilight Healing. Before the Church. Before old men and old women, days of lectures and scripture, before the angry shouts and the hurled insults as she was casta aside. Genuine kindness was written all over his face and in his touch, as he moved his hands from her cheeks to her own hands, rising and taking her with him.

/"Asia, would you come with me for a time? I can host you for as long as you wish, be it for a day or years."/ A spark played in his eyes as he offered her his arm once more, slinging their bags over his shoulder. /"There's someone at home who I think would like very much to know you're alright."/

The former nun stared at the young man before her. The man who had faced down and defeated a church full of opponents, because they planned to cause her harm. Who had prostrated himself before her afterwards, asking for her forgiveness. Who had a warmth to his bearing she had sorely missed, even despite his obvious affinity for combat.

Maybe...it wouldn't be so bad to stay with him, for now at least.

She took his arm.

{~o~}

"We're home!" Issei called as he entered his home, closing the door behind Asia as she followed him in.

The girl looked around, taking in the quiet beige walls bearing pictures of the Hyoudou Family as individuals or together, feeling the peaceful atmosphere that built up over time in true homes. Though it wasn't her specialty, she could even feel the quiet hum of magic running through the walls. It was soothing – like a cat's purr.

"Did it all go well?" Asia looked up as a woman's voice emanated from one of the open doorways, speaking Japanese.

"It did," Issei replied in kind. "Left a huge mess, but they're all alive." He paused. "Well, Sellzen might not be. But I can't really bring myself to care about trash like him."

"I'm glad we agree on that," Raynare replied, stepping out of the living room. She was dressed in a simple white blouse and jeans, her wings tucked away and her hair glossy in the light. Her gaze immediately fell on Asia, relief spreading across her features.

"She doesn't speak Japanese," Issei warned her, and the Fallen nodded absently.

/"Hello, Asia."/ She greeted, speaking flawless Italian. Or so Issei assumed, anyway.

/"You...must be Raynare, right?"/ The girl replied slowly, a bit unsure. The woman just smiled and nodded.

/"Yes, that's me. I suppose Issei told you about me then?"/ The blonde nodded, fidgeting slightly. Perceptive as she was, Raynare prompted her. /"You must have questions, right? Go ahead and ask. We won't keep secrets from you."/

After a second's pause, Asia gathered herself. /"Why did you decide to help me? Issei explained on the way back...you put your life in danger for me. Why?"/

Raynare's smile became a touch melancholic as she nodded, straightening from where she'd leaned over a bit to put herself on the same level as Asia. /"I suppose I expected that question. Come with me to the living room? This is a bit of a story, so we should be sitting down."/

She glanced over at Issei, who had just come back down the stairs from placing Asia's suitcase in the spare room that had been prepared for her. /"I'll go make some tea, shall I?"/ He exclaimed, reading the mood and bustling off to the kitchen as the two women seated themselves in the living room.

Both were silent for a little while, before the Fallen decided on where to start. /"I suppose,"/ she mused, /"That a big part of why I wanted to help you, is around the reason I Fell.

/"I was a Guardian Angel, you see. I would be assigned a child, and stay with them from birth until the age of seven. I would watch over them as much as I was allowed, trying to guide them away from danger and temptations, giving little nudges here and there to try and put them on a good path."/ The Fallen looked down at her hands, palms up towards her.

/"I was good at it. In fact, there were rumours that I might have been promoted to Four Wings for my work; an incredible honour. I was proud of my work and the children I helped, I was joyous at the good I was doing in God's name, and everything was...almost perfect."/ Her open hands clenched into fists. /"Then everything went wrong.

/"The child I was watching was in a war zone. She was a frail little thing, like fine china; her mother and father were dead, and she had been taken in by the rebel forces as they tried to evacuate the country. I stayed with her at all times, whispering in her ear to try and keep her away from the worst, sitting with her at night to try and hold the nightmares at bay."/

Tears swam in Raynare's eyes as her hands clenched tighter, bones creaking and blood beginning to run from the wounds her fingernails inflicted. /"But in the end, I wasn't able to help her when she needed me most.

/"One of the soldiers they assigned to look after the children turned out to be a traitor. He put toxins in their food, and I didn't even know it until my little angel started to choke on her own blood."/ She was crying properly now, tears dripping on her wounded hands.

/"There was nothing I could do. I was an Angel of the Lord, a Guardian Angel, yet by Heaven's laws I had no choice but to stand by and watch helplessly as she died."/

Asia sat before the much older woman, tears in her own eyes. /"Miss Raynare..."/

/"I couldn't take it,"/ The Fallen whispered. /"I watched her pass on, and I just...snapped. I refused to return to Heaven. Not when I could _see_ the way that _monster_ in human flesh smiled to itself when the rebels found the children, how his soul rejoiced at the despair they felt."/

Raynare's whole body was tense and shaking, long buried rage coming to the fore as she relived her memories. /"I broke the Rules. I formed a Light Spear, the first time I had ever done so outside of practice, and I shattered the tie that bound me to Heaven, that kept me unseen and untouched in the human world.

/"I Fell, and at the same time I used God's Light to burn a hole through a human's chest."/ A hollow chuckle, all that was left after the grief and rage had run their course, tore free of Raynare's throat. /"Imagine. Millennia of perfect service, and then all at once I break my Oath and shatter almost every Rule in Heaven's book. I can only imagine what Gabriel thought..."/

The woman sighed, leaning back in her seat as tear stained cheeks looked to the ceiling. /"Afterwards, I had no choice but to join the Grigori. Unaffiliated Fallen don't last long, especially weak ones like me. For centuries, I gloried in the slaughter of anyone I could convince myself was deserving, using sex, blackmail and torture to get close to anyone I was ordered to or felt I had to.

/"And then, I heard that I was expected to kill a child. To pull out an innocent's soul, for the selfish use of a _monster._ "/ Raynare looked like she wanted to spit at that, but held herself in. She was emotional, but that was no excuse to go making a mess for Issei to clean up. /"I couldn't do it – I _refused_ to do it. So I made a choice, and tried to convince myself that if I could save just one person after all these years, it would be worth it."/

She snorted, and there was a touch of genuine humour in it. /"Of course, you've seen how that turned out."/ The Fallen spread her arms wide. /"And that's it. The whole sordid tale. I failed once, and cost myself Heaven...and then I couldn't bear to be hurt in that way again. One poorly, or perhaps perfectly, chosen target later, here you are. Safe and sound."/

Finally, the woman slumped. She was exhausted now. She had never told her story; not really. Some amongst the Grigori knew parts of it. Azazel likely knew the full story, or had pieced it together – the man was notorious for his in-depth knowledge of everyone under his command. But she had never sat down with someone and just told them before. So she sat there, wondering what was meant to happen next. Wondering if the tightness in her chest would ever really go away.

/"Miss Raynare..."/ The quiet voice prompted her to begin lifting her head, but then something warm and weighty made itself known around her torso, and her vision was obscured by spun gold.

Vaguely, she realised that Asia was hugging her. /"I...I don't know, if I can speak for that girl..."/ The healer told her, somewhat choked up, and the Fallen realised that the dampness on her cheeks didn't come entirely from her own eyes anymore. /"But to me at least, Miss Raynare, you're a good person."/

The girl pulled back, revealing watery green eyes and a sad smile. /"But I guess...we're the same, aren't we? Neither of us could just stand and watch...and now Heaven is barred to us."/

Stunned, Raynare looked up at the girl in front of her. /"You...you knew? That the person you healed was a Devil?"/

Asia nodded, her smile still in place. /"I knew. I knew, but...I just couldn't leave them hurt. You know?"/

The Fallen nodded mutely, reaching out one hand to tentatively brush the younger girl's cheek. /"...Thank you, Miss Raynare."/ Asia told her, laying her own hand on the one gently wiping away her tears. /"From me and from that little girl...thank you, for being there for us."/

And with that, the millennia old woman broke down and cried, pulling the little healer to her chest as they both mourned their loss, while at the same time they celebrated the chance to have a new future.

{~o~}

From outside the doorway, Issei listened to the sound of the two women's sobs, remaining absolutely silent as he leaned against the wall.

Opening his eyes, he looked to the ceiling. "Those girls..." He started, speaking softly and not to just himself.

'Aye, lad. They've been through a lot.' Scott was quiet, out of some instinctive respect for the emotion running wild but a few metres away. 'Truly, I think they might well heal one another, if we can give them time.'

"Yes..." Issei muttered, glancing down at his left hand, which clenched into a fist. "And they'll have that time. Even if I have to serve Azazel his own teeth on a silver platter, they'll have that time. I swear it, as the Gentleman Dragon."

 **'I hear your resolution, Partner. I'm with you; we Dragons may not be the most emotional of beings, but I can respect their resilience. They are worthy of our protection.'**

"Then it's agreed," Issei intoned. "Come Heaven, Hell or anything in between – it goes through us first."

 **'Indeed.'**

'Aye.'

Pushing off the wall, the brunet returned to the kitchen, where the tea should have finished steeping. If they needed more time, he'd just maintain the temperature with a magic circle.

A gentleman knows when he is not needed.

* * *

Compendium:

 **Tenohira no Jihibukai-ryu:** The Palm of the Merciful Dragon. A magical artifact created by Issei with Scott's instruction, it turns a certain amount of the wielder's kinetic energy into magical energy just before impact with a target, to ensure a non-lethal strike while reclaiming the expended energy to keep the user fighting longer. The restrictions can be lifted to a certain degree via application of will.

 **Ojou-sama:** A respectful term for a young woman, often one in a position of wealth or power. Used often by servants when addressing their employers.

 **Rikai:** Comprehension. A technique developed using Scott's expertise, Issei's natural aptitude and Ddraig's knowledge of Devil magic. It allows the user to understand and be understood by speakers of other languages by projecting the underlying concepts of words in a two-way street. To the users they seem to be speaking one language, but to observers they would appear to be holding a fluent conversation in two different languages.

 **Ryu no** **Jutsu:** Art of the Dragon. A precursor phrase to a branch of Issei's techniques in this fic.

 **Ryu-rīchi:** Dragon's Reach. A technique developed by Issei in conjunction with Ddraig, through the medium of Scott's magecraft. Uses Ddraig's spirit as a template to form magical constructs, specifically arms which can interact with the world physically or channel magic to produce interesting effects. Power-intensive. Can be used for both utility and combat.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Ohaiyo, mina-san! Did you enjoy the chapter? I hope so!**

 **So, instead of doing what I've seen happen in a lot of other fics (that being Issei or whichever OC happens to be in the limelight _leaving Asia with the homicidal Fallen Angels and the rapist Stray Exorcist for several days before rescuing her_ (What the FUCK people?!)) we now have a church of efficiently kicked ass. What does that mean for the future? For the Kokabiel arc? FOR THE CHILDREN?! THINK OF THE CHILDREN!**

 **...ahem.**

 **Anyway. So, it got kinda heavy on the emotional stuff near the end there. Obviously, my version of Raynare isn't exactly canon; I've taken heavy inspiration from the fic 'A Demon Among Devils', a Persona 3 / Highschool DxD crossover by The Crimson Lord, which I _highly_ recommend. Hopefully I've explained just why Raynare is acting like she is, although I probably won't do such radical character shifts very often, if I do any more at all.**

 **What did you think? Was the action okay? Believable? Was Issei too much of a BAMF, not enough? How about everything else? And I wonder, can anyone guess which character I'm drawing inspiration from for Issei's tendencies? I'll give you a hint - he was a wiry fellow from a supernatural anime. Happy hunting!  
**

 **If you have an opinion, a suggestion, or even just the inclination, drop a review and I'll make sure to read it. (And possibly reply, once this annoying-as-all-Hell anti-spam feature lets me reply to reviews. 24 hours after making an account? Some of us aren't that patient dammit!)**

 **'Till next time,**

 **Ja ne!**


	4. A Gentleman is Always Observant

"Normal Speech"

/"Foreign Language"/

'Thought / Scott Speaking'

' _Issei Thinking'_

 **'Ddraig Speaking'**

 **"Technique"**

 **[Announcements]**

{~o~}

When she woke, the first thing Asia Argento thought was that she didn't remember owning a heated blanket. Then her 'blanket' mumbled and pulled her closer, and she realised her error.

Glancing around from her haven of arms and...other things, the blonde took in her surroundings.

The room followed the same colour scheme as the rest of Issei's home, though it didn't have the pictures and other nick-knacks that were scattered around the ground floor. This was obviously one of the guest rooms, although judging from the outfits she could see in the partly-open wardrobe across the room, it was Raynare's.

Idly, she tried to recall what had happened the night before. She remembered Raynare's confession, she remembered doing her best to comfort the older woman and get her to forgive herself, and then there had been crying and hugging...but what had come next?

She certainly didn't remember coming upstairs, where she was certain they were currently lying since the window revealed nothing but blue sky. There was a blanket tossed over both of them, and a quick check revealed that she was still wearing the dress she had reached Kuoh in – sans boots.

So, Issei had carried them upstairs? That was an...interesting thought.

Asia hadn't thought about the Emperor much after arriving in his home – she had been more focussed on Raynare and getting answers. However, now that she had a quiet moment, she ran over what she knew of him.

He called himself a Gentleman, and it didn't seem to be an idle boast. He acted the part, remaining composed and amiable with her at all times, reassuring her gently when she finally realised they'd walked halfway back to his home and she'd forgotten to ask if he was okay.

'How could I not be?' He had asked her. 'How could any of them touch me, when I was fighting for such a lady as yourself?' His tone had been gently chiding, but full of laughter; as if he was well aware how cheesy and somewhat arrogant he sounded, but was saying it despite all that.

He was a man who knew his place in the world, and was determined to hold that place – regardless of how that might appear to others. Much like her, she supposed. A man of conviction.

She could admire that, and recognise that his nature was selfless – at least regarding women.

But she couldn't help but remember how he'd been in the church. The flame which had burned in his eyes while his voice rang like steel. The cracks of displaced air as he threw punches, breaking the sound barrier as if he did it every day. The snaps of breaking bone, the cries of tumbling men...

He had been at home in the violence, coldly efficient and precise. He'd been a scalpel in a room of hammers...even when he launched a man through the ceiling so hard she was _sure_ his neck must have broken, he had moved on without missing a beat.

Like it had been nothing at all.

Could she really be comfortable around someone who was so well adapted to combat? To someone who could break bones and concuss his fellow man as if it were nothing?

She wasn't sure. It seemed there were two sides to Issei Hyoudou; the Dragon which rained judgement on his foes, and the Gentleman who carried a woman's luggage, made tea, and carefully tucked her in after an emotionally trying afternoon.

Which one was real, if either truly was?

/"You can trust him, you know."/

The sudden interjection of Raynare's voice startled the former nun, and she squeaked as she instinctively tried to jump forward. Arms like steel cable wrapped in foam held her gently in place, preventing her from tumbling off the bed and earning a bruise for her troubles.

/"H...how did you...?"/ The blonde managed to stutter, flushing red. She wasn't even looking at the woman!

/"It's the same thing I asked the first time I woke up in his house,"/ The Fallen admitted, quietly reveling in the feeling of cradling the smaller woman. She had missed this, this feeling of having something to hold and protect. /"I tried to understand him, to unravel his mystery so I could decide if I could trust him."/

Raynare's frame, and Asia's by proximity, shifted slightly as the older woman chuckled. /"As it happens, he's really quite simple to understand. All you have to remember, is that ridiculous title of his – the Gentleman Dragon."/

The blonde's face scrunched up in confusion. /"The...Gentleman Dragon?"/

Raynare hummed in agreement. /"Yes, that's the one. He wants to be the Ultimate Gentleman, the epitome of that which all true men strive for – his words, not mine."/ Another chuckle. /"In fact, he seems to think that being the Red Dragon Emperor is more of a means to that end than something to base his life around. He accepts it, right down to his soul – but he's more focussed on perfecting his 'Shinchi no Jutsu' than on conquering everything in sight, or proving his strength."/

Asia felt her hair shift as the woman behind her shook her head. /"It's absolutely ridiculous, right? A Dragon who willingly places others before himself, who is content to wait and let things come to him on his own merit than to reach and take it as he could."/ A movement that may have been a shrug. /"But that's just who he is. Issei Hyoudou, the Gentleman Dragon. He'll practically be your foot-stool, right up until someone starts making eyes at you – and then, he's making them eat their teeth, their words, and his fist. And all with style, too."/

There was a tone in Raynare's voice that Asia could just barely identify as a mix of amusement and awe. /"I guess...the point of me saying all this, is that you should understand. If you choose to stay, he will offer you his protection and his aid one hundred percent, no strings attached, and I don't believe you'll ever have cause to regret it."/ She started laughing again, even as Asia felt her unease falling away. /"Because that's just the kind of man he is."/

The former nun smiled to herself, shuffling back slightly into the embrace of the Fallen Angel who had saved her life, feeling sleep close in once again. /"The Gentleman Dragon...I guess I kind of like the sound of that..."/

Behind her, Raynare smiled fondly at a head of golden hair as Asia's breathing started to settle once more. /"I hoped you would..."/ She whispered, before closing her own eyes. Last night had been tiring after all.

Idly, she thought she'd need to thank Issei for carrying them up here after they crashed. Comfortable as his couches might be, she certainly didn't want to spend the night on one if she could help it.

{~o~}

Around that time, roughly half an hour's walk away, the man in question was traipsing toward the Occult Research Club's room, lunch tucked under one arm. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised Rias-senpai wanted to see me so soon..." He mused to himself, glancing sideways at his companion.

Koneko Toujou. He didn't know her at all, really, beyond being aware that was a Devil and that she was the school's pinnacle target for lolicons. She, unlike the Kendo Team or a few other popular figures, had never required some quiet aid from him to ensure her privacy remained intact – people trying to peek on the petite girl generally turned up in the infirmary in various shades of black and blue.

If he hadn't known she was a supernatural, Issei might have wondered at the disparity between the size of the target and the scale of the response she could apparently dish out. But when he'd told Raynare he was well aware of how dangerous women could be, he wasn't kidding.

Scott had been emphatic on that point.

'Women are a blessing on this world,' he had confided years before, 'but not all blessings come from God. There are some extremely dangerous women out there, laddie, though their power might not always be physical or magical. Always remember, that just because your opponent is a woman, is no reason to bend over backwards and let yourself die.'

He'd then talked him through a list of the female opponents the large man had done battle with in his lifetime, as well as their capabilities.

By the time he reached Ingrid 'the Ball Buster', Issei was well and truly inoculated against treating women with anything but the utmost respect, both off _and_ on the battlefield – even if respect had far different meanings in each environment.

From observing her on occasion, he understood that Koneko had an appetite that should have been impossible for someone of her size, weight and figure, yet which she managed to maintain anyway. In particular, her sweet tooth was the stuff of legends. Apparently the Cooking Club had an entire book of recipes for her, so high in sugar they would melt an ordinary man's teeth.

Since he knew for a fact that the idiom 'The way to a man's heart is through his stomach' didn't actually require a Y chromosome to be applicable, he decided that he might as well start forging some kind of rapport with the girl.

"Toujou-san?" He questioned, flipping the lid on his lunchbox as the largely monotonous Devil turned to look at him. "Would you like my daifuku? I'm not particulary in the mood for sweets today, and I don't want it going to waste..."

Amber eyes locked on to Issei's gaze, sharp and penetrating as they scanned his features. That confirmed what the brunet had suspected; Koneko was sharp, in the same way as he and Raynare were. She could read people, probably to a greater degree than either he or the Fallen if Ddraig's guess as to her nature was correct.

She rarely, _rarely_ , slipped in her suppression of her magical signature. But she _did_ slip, when she thought she was alone; and if he was close enough at the time, Issei could pick up a whisper of her power. There was what he knew now to be a Devil's signature...but there was something else, too. Undoubtedly supernatural, but not belonging to one of the Three Factions, he was now sure.

That left only one real possibility – and if it panned out, that meant that he was dealing with probably the greatest expert in Cold Reading this side of Kyoto's Red-Light District.

Still, that didn't really worry him. If he'd had ulterior motives, it may well have – but right now, his goal was try and cheer up the perpetually dour girl beside him. Nothing more, and nothing less. If a woman in his presence is less than content, then that means a Gentleman isn't performing their role correctly. And Issei took his role _very_ seriously.

After a long three seconds, Koneko apparently found, or didn't find, what she was looking for – and offered a small nod. Reaching into his now-open bento, Issei retrieved the bag of sweets, placing them gently on her upraised palms before re-securing his lunch and putting it back under his arm.

As the sound of quiet chewing came from beside him, the brunet hoped he'd just taken the first step on a road to dispel the clouds and shadow that the younger girl wrapped herself in. She did not suit her disposition, and unless she directly stated that she didn't wish for him to do so, it was his self-elected job to try and unearth the real Koneko from wherever she had been buried.

"...Thank you."

Issei smiled. "You're welcome."

{~o~}

"Welcome back, Issei-san." Rias greeted as the brunet walked into the club room, bowing his head in a respectful greeting as he smiled.

"Thank you, Rias-senpai. It's good to see you again." A quick glance revealed that the full line-up was here once again; Kiba against the wall, as apparently-per-usual. Akeno on a couch, a teapot and several cups on a tray in front of her. Rias behind her desk, glasses laid to the side of some paperwork.

Koneko glanced back at him, nodded once, and then moved away to what was apparently her claimed seat on the couch across from Akeno, quietly working her way through the already part-depleted bag of sweets.

"Likewise," the redhead returned with a smile, gesturing to a seat which appeared to have been dragged out from somewhere. It was the same as the others in the room, set up to face Rias directly over the table separating Akeno and Koneko. "I apologise that I didn't offer last time, but would you like a seat?"

He waved off her apology. "It's nothing to worry about, Rias-senpai. No need to go to trouble on my account." Walking forward, he glanced towards her before seating himself. "My thanks."

He settled into the comfortable piece of furniture, and it was Rias' turn to wave off the well-wishing. "Not at all, Issei-san. It's only common courtesy."

Inclining his head slightly with a small smile, the Red Dragon Emperor composed himself, right leg folded over his left knee and his hands clasped together, resting on the aligned knees. "Shall I take it, Rias-senpai, that you wish to know the results of yesterday's rescue mission?"

The girl nodded, idly thanking her Queen as the other teen left a cup of tea on a coaster near her glasses. "My familiar went to the church after we sensed the barrier come down, but I'd prefer to ask you directly than try to piece things together from the aftermath."

Nodding once again, Issei smiled at Akeno as she placed another cup of tea on the table in front of him. "Thank you very much, Himejima-senpai."

The raven-haired girl giggled, holding her now-empty tray to her chest. "You are quite welcome, Shinchi-kun."

Issei raised an eyebrow, but chuckled even as he wrapped his hands around the cup. "A nickname already, senpai? I feel honoured."

Something between a snort and a chuckle came from the wall. "You probably shouldn't, Hyoudou-san." Kiba warned him. "Akeno-san only gives nicknames to people she has taken a...personal interest in."

The brunet read between the lines easily enough...but a Gentleman did not back down from a challenge. _Particularly_ a lady's challenge. "My oh my, to think I've so quickly come to the attention of my esteemed senpai." He took a sip from his cup, offering Akeno herself a beatific smile. "Now I am most definitely honoured."

The smile she returned was almost exactly the same expression he himself wore – a flawless smile, that only a perceptive observer would realise served as a mask to any and all feelings beneath it. That cinched it, for Issei – Akeno was sharp too.

' _I wonder if perceptiveness is a trait common to all supernaturals, or if I simply find myself surrounded by highly intelligent women._ ' He really hoped it was the latter – though he treated them with the respect they were due as a member of the fairer sex, he generally preferred to stay away from air heads and shallow women. They had too little substance to them – it was sad, but true, and he had to admit it.

Women like Akeno, Raynare, Rias and apparently Koneko, though? They were most definitely worth the effort.

From behind her desk, Rias coughed politely, drawing Issei's attention away from the raven-haired girl, his smile becoming more genuine as he moved. "Ah, please accept my apologies Rias-senpai – Himejima-senpai makes a truly awe-inspiring cup of tea." He punctuated the statement with another sip, and beside him, Akeno's smile turned slightly predatory.

Kiba met his gaze for a moment, offering a nod which roughly translated to 'best of luck', while Koneko's eyes flickered between him and Akeno for a moment before the tiniest trace of a smile pulled at her lips.

Rias just shook her head in exasperation, a wry smile on her features. "Yes, Akeno is very good at what she does." A look of amusement flashed in her eyes. "If you can drag yourself away from appreciating her work, could you give me a quick report of what happened yesterday then?"

Internally, the brunet chuckled – it seemed the Gremory heiress was not above taking a few potshots in good humour. Ah, to be surrounded by such women – all his hard work was a paying off at once these past few days!

"Of course, Rias-senpai." He placed his cup back on the table, cleared his throat, and launched into his abbreviated explanation.

"I picked up Asia's magical signature as soon as I exited the barrier surrounding the academy, though I attribute this more to the fact that I was expecting it than to my own skill."

A Gentleman is always modest.

"I managed to track her down near the centre of town, where I discovered she was lost, and did not speak enough Japanese to get directions to the church. Thankfully, I possess a skill which allowed us to understand one another, and I was able to strike up a rapport and offer to escort her there.

"En-route, we came across a young boy with a damaged knee, which Asia proceeded to heal."

Rias raised an eyebrow, and Issei expanded. "As it turns out, her reputation as a miraculous healer is entirely based on fact – she possesses the Sacred Gear Twilight Healing."

Across the room, Kiba let out a long whistle. "Twilight Healing. A Sacred Gear that can heal the wounds and restore the energy of anybody, no matter if they are Angel, Fallen, Devil, Human, Youkai or something else entirely. The most powerful Healing-type Sacred Gear known to exist."

Issei nodded to his explanation. "Precisely. At that point, I understood why the Grigori, or whosoever was controlling Raynare's cell from within their ranks, were willing to take such risks in procuring it."

Rias nodded, chewing her lower lip. "Possessing such a powerful recovery aid would be an incredible force multiplier for any force; give it to someone with prodigious reserves, extensive magical experience and combat ability, and the benefits become exponential."

She looking back to Issei. "Pardon, Issei-san. Please, continue."

Acknowleding the request with a nod, the brunet obliged. "From words exchanged afterwards, I came to understand that, despite parting ways with the Church, Asia still has her faith. She still prays, and sees her Sacred Gear as having been given to her by God to do good in His name."

There was a dissatisfied grunting from Kiba at that, and Issei noted it for future investigation.

"When we reached the church, I immediately became aware of a large concentration of bloodlust from within, alongside the presence of multiple Fallen Angels and a truly disgusting presence I have since determined to have been the Stray Exorcist Freed Sellzen."

The name caused grimaces to appear on every face. Sellzen's reputation had spread beyond the church, into the Grigori and Devil factions. It was a testament to his skill that he hadn't been killed within months of leaving the Church, with a rap sheet like his.

"Asia tried to persuade me to leave her there and proceed no further. By observing her, I believe she understood what she was getting into, but took their offer to continue 'doing God's work' as being worth it."

Another unhappy noise from Kiba. The blond swordsman definitely didn't seem to have any love lost between himself and the church.

"I made my entrance after having secured Asia and our possessions, then proceeded to engage the force arrayed within. It was, as Raynare told me, a company of fifty Stray Exorcists alongside Sellzen and three other Fallen."

He began ticking off fingers. "A combination of Ddraig's Aspect of Dominion, my own expertise in aura manipulation and close quarters combat served to dispatch the cannon fodder." One finger. "Sellzen engaged me at that time, while the Fallen remained at range to bombard me. Once he closed with me, I dispatched him with... _prejudice_."

Another finger, and the glimmer of satisfaction in the Devils' eyes made Issei well aware that, despite not being the monsters that many tended to claim, these were still people who could appreciate the value of good, old-fashioned vengeance.

"Finally, I engaged the three Fallen, who had chosen to remain within the church instead of fleeing. Dohnaseek suffered extreme concussive trauma to his midsection, causing instant unconsciousness. Kalawarner and Mittelt both suffered similarly, but the trauma was more widespread, resulting in fewer injuries."

A final finger ticked off, and Issei took a sip of tea. "At that time, I requested that Asia lodge with me until she has time to decide her next move. She agreed, and spent the evening in Raynare's company before falling asleep. The last I saw of her, she was resting peacefully in one of my guest bedrooms, healthy – if exhausted."

Report concluded, Issei sat back a bit as Rias tapped her chin, sifting through all the information. "Thank you, Issei-san." She told him idly, eyes not really focussed on him as she thought. "As you have been so forthright, once again, allow me to return the favour.

"My Familiar reported to me once the church was safe for us to enter, and my Peerage and I entered to assess the area." Looking down and to the side, Rias appeared to rifle in a drawer before pulling out a sheet of paper, reading from it.

"We accounted for a total of fifty exorcists, all confirmed as stray by the Vatican, all in need of hospitalisation. They were sent to the Underworld via transport circle, and will likely by sent to the Vatican for punishment." She turned over the page of what Issei now realised was a multi-page report.

"We apprehended both Mittelt and Kalawarner; each of them will be returned to the Grigori, most likely for a ransom. Neither of them suffered any major injuries." Issei nodded in satisfaction; it would appear he had judged his actions well.

"Unfortunately," the Devil continued, "we couldn't find Dohnaseek, although there was an impact point littered with feathers and blood that was likely his resting place. It would appear he managed to escape, one way or another."

The brunet frowned. That wasn't the best news he could have received; true, the Fallen was absolutely no threat to him, nor could he realistically get past the barriers on his home. However, he represented information. Information on his techniques, his capabilities, and likely whatever data had been gathered on him for the cell's list of notables.

The redhead glanced up at him, offering a sympathetic look to show she understood. Turning back to the report, she frowned herself. "We didn't manage to find Sellzen, either, which worries me. We combed the area, but there was no sign of him whatsoever. He's vanished, which is a mystery because when you say 'dispatched with prejudice', I'm inclined to say he wouldn't have been going anywhere on his own...?"

A raised eyebrow accompanied her question, and Issei shook his head. "No. I'm certain I shattered everything solid in the lower half of his face, breaking through the roof likely concussed him, to say nothing of falling from the height he did. Insane or not, he couldn't have walked away from that landing."

"As I thought..." Rias muttered, rubbing her eyes as she put the report down. "I like a mystery as much as the next girl, but I could do without this one."

"I understand completely," Issei assured her, finishing his tea with a sigh. "I can't promise anything, but I _will_ keep an ear to the ground. The odds of you missing something and me finding it are slim, I realise, but I hope you understand you have my support in this matter, Rias-senpai."

A genuine smile blessed Rias' face, and she nodded. "Thank you, Issei-san. Please, make sure to let Argento-san and Raynare-san know that they are both welcome in our territory, and will enjoy our protection as friends of a friend." She bit her lower lip again. "I _am_ right in saying we are friends, aren't I?"

Grinning widely, Issei stood, offering a bow like he'd done on their first meeting. "I would be most pleased to count myself as your friend, Rias-senpai." Rising, he bobbed his head to each of the other people in the room. "I hope that, with time, I can say the same for each member of your Peerage."

Turning, he headed to the door, offering a wave and a smile as he pulled it open. "Good afternoon, Rias-senpai, Himejima-senpai, Kiba-san, Toujou-san."

Farewells from Akeno, Rias and Kiba followed him out, as well as a barely audible well-wishing from the quiet girl on the couch.

He grinned to himself as he walked. Playing the long game truly did pay off, it seemed.

{~o~}

As Issei closed the door gently behind him, Rias leaned back in her seat, still smiling although the expression shrank some. "At this point, I don't particulary care whether or not he becomes part of the Peerage. If we can get him to ally himself with us, then that alone will be a huge mark in our favour."

"I agree, Rias." Akeno told her, talking plainly now that it was only the Peerage. "Setting aside the prestige of being the one to secure the assistance of the Red Dragon Emperor, just having an ally who conducts themselves as well as he does is a point in your favour."

Kiba hummed an agreement. "The more time I spend with him, the more I find myself itching to try and match him." Seeing the look on his King's face, he hastened to correct her assumption. "Not in combat, Buchou – I'll admit that I'm interested in seeing how I would match up, but I'm not willing to risk our relationship with him for my own battle mania." The blond shook his head. "No, I want to match him as a man."

The rest of the room, who were all female, gave him odd looks. The swordsman just shrugged. "I can't explain it very well, but there are a lot of intricacies and unspoken rules to interactions between guys. Since we're both Gentlemen, it's even more complex." Steely gray eyes shifted to the door. "The way he holds himself, the way he speaks, even the way he exists...it's an inspiration to someone like me."

The three girls in the room shared glances, all of them communicating the exact same thought.

'Men.'

{~o~}

When school let out, Issei wandered back home in the afternoon sun, recalling his meeting with Rias and her Peerage, going over what he'd learned.

' _Akeno is the pragmatic one. She looks at the world in quantities, numbers, advantages and disadvantages. At the same time, it feels like that's another mask...I just can't see what's beneath it yet._

 _'Rias tries, but she doesn't have the same cool edge. She cares honestly for her Peerage, as individuals rather than as Pieces, and while that inspires loyalty it may be a disadvantage in some ways._

 _'Koneko is...anomalous, at the moment. She's quiet and prefers to observe the world, keeping a shell between it and her real self. She's likely either been trained, or has trained herself, to act in that fashion – there's a story behind that which I will need to understand if I wish to help her._

 _'I thought Kiba was simple enough – a Gentleman, like me – but it appears I was mistaken. His little outbursts when I mentioned Asia's faith, the way he fingered his sword when I mentioned exorcists...he has a massive axe to grind with the Church, and I can't help but worry that it may be too much for him to bear.'_

The brunet let out a long sigh, while Scott offered another of his emotional pats on the shoulder. 'Hang in there, lad. They're a complex group of complex individuals, but you'll have time to get to know them.'

"That's making a pretty damn big assumption, Scott." Issei muttered. "Dohnaseek and Freed...I have to assume that both escaped, which means information about our abilities has leaked. We have to assume that we've lost the element of surprise, at least to a certain extent."

Ddraig grunted. **'It is unfortunate, yes. But remember Partner, even without me there's likely not a human alive that you can't defeat. When we combine our powers, then anything up to and including one of the Domain Angels should be within our abilities to conquer.'**

"I know that..." Issei sighed. "But I'm getting a bad feeling, and I can't help but think about all those people you and Scott have mentioned that make those Eight-Wing Angels seemed like kids in the sandbox."

Neither of his tenants replied. They had indeed shared a great many tales of their more difficult battles, imprinting upon their charge a basic fact of life. There was _always_ someone better than you, no matter how high on the ladder you climbed. That was why being the 'best' at anything was a lifelong dream; you had to chase everyone in front of you, and then outrun everyone behind you.

Of course, Issei pushed forward anyway. He was going to be the Ultimate Gentleman, even if it killed him!

Though preferably not before he'd at least got one moment of glorious satisfaction in the face of a job well done.

"Ah, well." He threw his head back, staring at the sky. "I guess it can't be helped. We'll keep up our training, maybe try and include Raynare, Asia...perhaps even Rias-senpai and her Peerage." He frowned. "Something tells me...that we're going to need all the allies we can have standing beside us..."

{~o~}

In the Boosted Gear, two aged beings shared glances. Both knew the power of instinct, be it that of a warrior or a Dragon. Someone like Issei, who was both, was particularly attuned to that strange, massively complex web of cause and effect known to most as 'causality', 'the universe' and 'fate'. When he had a bad feeling, they _listened_.

Taking care not to project his voice to Issei, the ginger-haired battle mage folded his arms across his chest, facing a sombre Dragon that towered over him like a mountain over a mole hill. "Fit d'you think, Ddraig?" He asked, his natural accent coming to the fore. Both he and the Dragon hailed from the same isles, after all – even if he dropped it around Issei, for the lad's benefit, he liked to let loose a little now and again.

 **"It might be getting close to that time, yes."** The mountain of scales and muscle rumbled. **"He has been synchronising more and more, drawing upon more and more of my power. He must either move to the next step or halt his progress here, lest he unbalance himself."**

The ancient Scotsman sighed, running one hand through his scraggly orange locks. "Ah'd 'oped 'e might hae a few years yet to enjoy h'mself. 'Afore he 'ad tae mak his choice."

Ddraig let out a sigh of his own, though it was more akin to a hurricane. **"As did I. However, needs must, as I believe the saying goes."**

Turning his gaze to the sky, where the view out of Issei's eyes was projected, Scott nodded. "That it does, Ddraig. That it does."

{~o~}

"I'm home!"

Issei idly noted that he was using that phrase more in the past few days than he had almost the entire previous year. Sure, he appreciated basically having his own place. And sure, he was happy that his parents were off living the life they wanted to. But now and again, coming home to an empty building grated on him.

When two female voices called "Welcome back!" as one, he instead felt an uplifting warmth. This was the warmth only a woman could bring; one of the many reasons they were so worth cherishing.

Tossing his satchel upstairs as was his habit, Issei wandered through into the living room as he unbuttoned his jacket, finding Asia and Raynare curled up on one of the couches.

The former nun had changed out of her dress, and instead was clad in a light-green sundress, foregoing shoes and socks as she tucked her legs beneath her and scanned the pages of the book in front of her eyes.

Beside her, legs extending to the side as she curled them in, Raynare's features were happily locked into a soft smile, the joy practically radiating off her like an aura. If she was beautiful normally, she was almost doubly so like this; even wearing a simple, plain t-shirt and slacks. If it weren't for the differences between them, Issei might well have mistaken the two for sisters.

"Hello, Issei-san!" Asia called, looking up from the book to offer him a smile. "How was your day?"

"All the better for seeing you at the end of it, Asia-san." He replied happily, settling into another couch which faced them across a coffee table. /"I take it that Raynare's been helping you learn Japanese, then?"/

The blonde nodded happily. /"Yes, she has. I asked about it, and she was kind enough to offer her help."/ She raised the book she had been reading, which Issei now realised was an introductory text to Japanese, written in English. He was fluent in the language, or at least a variant of it, thanks to Scott's tuition – however, he hadn't considered that Asia might know it.

' _I didn't even need_ _ **Rikai**_ _, did I?'_

/"It's difficult, but I think I'm getting the hang of it."/

Issei smiled as Raynare rested one hand on Asia's hand, gently stroking her hair. /"You're coming along nicely, Asia. Don't rush yourself, try to enjoy the learning. You'll find yourself taking things in far more easily if you're enjoying yourself while you work."/

/"Got it, Issei!"/ The girl chirped, raising one fist in determination. /"I'll be fluent before you know it!"/

The brunet chuckled, bowing his head. /"I have no doubt about it."/ Rising with a groan, he stretched a bit. /"Now, if the ladies will excuse me, I need a shower before I start making dinner. Have fun, you two."/

/"We will!"/ Both called after him, even as he retreated upstairs to grab a change of clothes.

He didn't stop smiling; seeing the two of them together like that was heartening, and it was quite obvious that Raynare had decided to put her oldest skill-set to good use, even as Asia accepted it. Consciously or not, he wasn't sure – but the blonde was entirely at ease with sitting beside the Fallen, even being in constant contact with her, and indeed seemed to enjoy it.

Yes, those two were good for one another.

But right now, a good meal would stand them all in good stead, once he'd removed the worst of the day from his skin. Sometimes, he wondered if it would be worth the investment of research, experimentation and constant power emission to invent some kind of magical anti-perspirant. If he was going to be living with two women, and interacting daily with a further three, it just might become a viable idea.

He scribbled it down on the sheet of paper hanging over his desk, marked 'Things to Do and Think About'. There were several other loose ideas hanging about on there, some of which were pipe dreams, some of which were basically impossible (for now, at least) and a few of which he was still tinkering with in his spare time.

Newest contribution made, he set off down the corridor. Dinner wasn't going to make itself.

{~o~}

Elsewhere, two bandaged figures lay on cots much like those which could be found in hospitals.

One's entire face was swathed in wrappings, his neck held stationary by a brace while his legs were kept elevated by wraps hanging from the ceiling. He was unconscious, and kept that way by sedatives until he was more recovered.

The other had a cast on one leg, and bandages wrapped around his midsection beneath a plain white robe – but apart from that, he bore no more signs of injury than bruising or small cuts.

He lay on his back, unable to sit up because of the strain on his damaged abdominal muscles, cursing everything from God, to the absent-presumed-dead Raynare, to the Twilight Healing user, to the bastard who had done this to him (and occasionally, and very, _very_ quietly, the monster that had set him the mission in the first place.)

Then the door opened, admitting a figure in black armour, its features shrouded by the shadows of its helm, which ran a cursory gaze across the charts at the end of both beds, before focussing its abyssal attentions on the injured Fallen. "Agent Dohnaseek. You were the acting leader of your cell, which has failed in its mission. You are also the last remaining member, as Sellzen was operating under different orders."

A menacing pressure began to ooze from the humanoid, and the two-wing Fallen felt a shiver run up his spine. "You will make your report. And if he is feeling merciful, Kokabiel-sama may decide to let you live."

It leaned in. " _May._ "

Dohnaseek gulped. "Understood. Our aggressor was the Red Dragon Emperor..."

* * *

Compendium:

 **Shinchi:** Gentleman

 **Domain Angel:** An Angel with eight wings or more, powerful enough to have been given a Domain to rule over by God. This can be anything from an element like Fire, to a concept like Judgement, to a star like Sirius and basically anything else. (Note: This is non-canon, I made it up.)

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Hello, one and all, and welcome back!**

 **So, another chapter's come and gone. Not much happening this time around; mostly dealing with the aftermath of the battle at the church, tying up loose ends and setting things up for the future.**

 **Asia and Raynare are growing closer rapidly, with Issei factoring in for both of them while Rias resolves herself further to secure his favour. At the same time, the Red Dragon Emperor's existence has been confirmed for a certain Twilight-looking-ass-motherfucker; what changes will be wrought?**

 **And in the background, two ancient beings make plans of their own...**

 **Yes, the train is picking up speed, and things are going to get interesting around here.**

 **Also, Scott's change in speech - that's about the best I can write a Scots accent, so please bear with it. I'm fairly sure it should still be legible, but if enough people complain, I'll write a translation somewhere - perhaps below the line itself, or in the Compendium. I'll cross that bridge if we come to it.**

 **Did you see something you liked? Something you didn't? Is it the third Tuesday of a month ending in 'Y' and you have a hankering for chocolate? Is your reason even more ridiculous than that? Then feel free to leave a review. I'll consider every idea I'm offered, so don't be shy!**

 **Until next time,**

 **Ja ne!**


	5. A Gentleman Is Steadfast

"Normal Speech"

/"Foreign Language"/

'Thought / Scott Speaking'

' _Issei Thinking_ '

 **'Ddraig Speaking'**

" **Technique** "

 **[Announcements]**

{~o~}

Issei leaned on the doorway leading to the Hyoudou residence's back garden, looking out over the grass. It was a decent space, and it represented one of the most complex pieces of magic he'd ever performed – a Space Expansion.

Pulling it off had required the nigh-on-impossible combination of laser-precision magic circle formation, timing worthy of Beethoven himself, an ability to multitask about four different things simultaneously, and incredibly accurate control of his magic.

While working with reserves Boosted to over sixty-four times his norm.

Needless to say, that had been one Hell of an afternoon, and he'd passed out immediately after finishing...but it had been _so_ worth it in the long run.

The final result was that the tiny lot which came with the house, that basically amounted to a square metre of grass and a couple of flower beds, had increased by over thirty times. With a little creative illusions work tied into ambient magic, he had concealed the psuedo-pocket-dimension from his parents, and voila – one instant training area.

An incredible amount of magic had been thrown about here, the grass had been watered with his blood and sweat, there were probably enough splinters from demolished targets lying around the place to start growing trees in such a high magic environment. This place, in some ways, was as representative of his determination to fulfil his dreams as the crest he had drawn by hand – and now, it had come to mean something more.

Asia was standing at one end, panting slightly as she kept her hands in front of her, focussing intently to maintain the gently rotating, bright-green magic circle that she had conjured. On the other side of the barrier was Raynare, who was laying into the plane of magical force while wearing a pair of gloves Issei had made for her. They used a similar matrix to his Tenohira, but instead of altering the outgoing force they worked inwards, allowing the Fallen to use her full strength against an unmoving object without damaging herself.

True, Asia was more than willing to heal any injuries they sustained during training – but while working through the burn was great for building up pain tolerance, Issei drew the line at throwing punches with broken bones.

This was one of the exercises that he'd suggested almost two weeks ago now, when Asia's residency became official and Issei paid a visit to the local social services.

A bit of creative story telling and a little flexing of his Draconic aura later, the brunet returned home with papers stating that Yuuma Amano, a distant cousin of the Hyoudou family and a legal adult, was boarding at his house along with her niece, Asia Argento.

It was unfortunate that he'd been forced to resort to using supernatural coercion on normal people, but the world of the Three Factions was kept a secret for good reason, and Issei couldn't afford to hunt down and pay someone to come up with entire histories for both of them. So long as the authorities never realised there was something off, a deep cover story wasn't necessary.

A long, in-depth discussion had been held between the three house mates and, after conferring with Rias, who in turn conferred with the Student Council President Souna Shitori (who Issei had since learned was actually Sona Sitri, another Heiress of the Seventy-Two Pillars), Asia had been enrolled in Kuoh Academy.

Though both Raynare and Issei were somewhat uncomfortable with having Asia so exposed, particularly when neither Dohnaseek, Sellzen or the Fallen's much-hated superior had been accounted for, she was within five hundred metres of the brunet at all times, only ever separated by, at most, the distance between the main campus and the old school building.

The former nun wished to attend school, to interact with more people her age (and to Raynare, she admitted she wished to spend more time around Issei, to know him better). Neither brunet nor raven-haired woman could deny her, and thus she had been introduced to the class two days after arriving in the city.

She was, of course, an instant hit.

Thankfully, Issei had managed to keep the fact that she was living with him under wraps for now; not only would the reaction be incredibly troublesome for both him and Asia, but it could damage the girl's reputation – and that was absolutely unacceptable.

However, she _did_ attach herself to him, and that hadn't gone unnoticed. The rumour mill had taken flight, Matsuda and Motohama had lead the other males in a crusade of glares, and there was a general air of menace from that side of the populace whenever Asia ate lunch with him.

Oddly enough, the reaction from the female student body had actually been more positive; Issei wasn't sure why, but they appeared to be viewing him in a new light. When the Perverted Duo started capering around him, the glances he got from the girls tended to be more sympathetic than damning.

He wondered if Asia had said something to them, or if simply associating with someone so obviously pure had bolstered his own reputation somehow.

Well, he wasn't going to complain. It was incredibly hard to do right by women when they wouldn't even speak to you, or in some cases acknowledge that you existed.

She had made friends everywhere, in both the lower and upper years, in all the cliques from the Kendo Club to the Chess Club. Heck, even Koneko seemed not to mind her presence, even if she generally just sat and listened while the blonde spoke.

She had become a part of everyone's lives at an incredible pace, and she seemed all the livelier for it.

However, even as he found himself warmed by how her smile grew every day, the brunet never forgot a basic truth. She had been a target once, and the mastermind behind the scheme had yet to be found. Raynare wouldn't even say his name; not yet, at least. She had pleaded to be given more time before telling that story, and Issei had backed off easily.

Information was important, but he would rather go blind into battle with someone he trusted heart and soul, than shine some light on the situation with a resentful comrade.

Of course, that was secondary to the fact that his Code demanded no less than Raynare's absolute comfort in his presence, which included giving her all the time and understanding she needed, no matter the reason.

So, without any real information to run on, Issei assumed the worst – and immediately set to persuading his tenants to train with him. They had agreed easily; Raynare apparently had some complex revolving around her strength, and it had been an uphill struggle to keep her motivated when her initial results had been...sub-par. On the other hand, Asia had been determined not to be a hindrance for the two people who had rescued her, and leapt on the chance to contribute.

That had bolstered Raynare, and the two had thrown themselves into growing stronger under the guidance of their host and, unbeknownst to them, Scott.

The Fallen had been running physical exercise routines for hours each day, wearing herself out only for Asia to heal all the tiny injuries she sustained from training in the evening, allowing her to start all over again the next morning. She had also practiced manipulating her Light element, simultaneously expanding her reserves of energy and sharpening her control.

When she first met Issei, she could form three or four spears before they began to fade in power, and aim them roughly at a target, losing accuracy after about ten metres.

Now, she could summon up to twenty four, all of which could hit within a radius of about a metre at up to thirty metres, which was as far as they could throw things in the garden. At this point, Issei knew, he was going to need new facilities for her to continue growing. Perhaps he could ask Rias; Devils were more magically able than humans, after all, and might have a few tricks he could trade for.

Asia, on the other hand, had been studying magic much as Issei once had. She had a knack for protective and healing magic, which was no surprise at all. Whether it was because she possessed Twilight Healing, or maybe just because she was that kind of person, she had quickly devoured and found success with the brunet's limited repertoire of skills in magical medicine, although her Sacred Gear would likely render the knowledge moot.

She hadn't taken quite as quickly to the defensive side of things, but she was determined and methodical, learning the basics in three days and then building up from there. Right now, she could stop up to about thirteen of Raynare's Light Spears before her barrier gave out, and she was expanding her magical reserves all the time by expending her energy giving the Fallen a punching bag, then regaining it while she slept.

That was how magic reserves worked, generally. The more they were used, the more they grew, just like a muscle – though it worked at a slower pace, generally. Asia, who was naturally in tune with her magic thanks to having a Sacred Gear, progressed faster than a normal human, but slower than Issei, who in turn grew at a slower rate than Raynare. It was all to do with the amount of innate magic one person had; a Fallen was entirely supernatural, and thus had the best rate of growth; while Issei fell somewhere in the middle, by dint of Ddraig's influence.

Each of them alone should be capable of at least getting away from most aggressors in their weight division; together, the two of them were formidable enough in their respective disciplines to outmatch groups up to three times their number, making use of the natural teamwork that built up from spending large tracts of every day with one another, in settings both casual and active.

It was an incredible amount of progress for only two weeks – but the brunet couldn't help but feel it wasn't enough. There was still something worrying him, at the very edge of his perception, that prompted him to up their training, to push them harder.

But he couldn't. Or, he wouldn't. Both of them were still fragile in some ways; Raynare had picked up more than one issue over the last few centuries, leaving her vulnerable even to the implication that she wasn't good enough. To anyone who practiced psychological warfare, she was an easy target.

Asia was a non-combatant, generally speaking. She was a healer, and she could fend off attacks, but she had no offense to speak of, and likely never would. While she might have been an incredible force multiplier, without allies to defend her and for her to keep on their feet, there was very little she could do. But just saying that flat-out would do little but hurt her, and he only had one real way to improve upon that weakness.

Gather more allies.

Yes, perhaps it was about time for him to speak with Rias again.

A quiet _thump_ drew his attention to Asia, who had slumped to her knees, gasping for breath with sweat running down her brow, magic circle dissipating as she reached her limit. In front of her, Raynare placed her hands on her knees, bending over as she tried to catch her breath.

Issei straightened, snagging the two bottles of water he'd grabbed from the fridge as he did so, and walked over. "Well done, you two." He congratulated them, passing one bottle to Raynare, and kneeling down beside Asia to pass her the other. "You're in excellent form tonight."

The former nun took a deep pull from the bottle, sighing in satisfaction as she turned a smile on the brunet. "Thanks, Issei-kun. We couldn't do it without you."

The teen just shook his head, smiling to himself even as he once again appreciated just how quickly Asia had picked up conversational Japanese. "My aid has its place, but without the determination you both show, it would be useless." He grinned, placing one hand on her shoulder and squeezing lightly. "This is your sweat, your effort, _your_ power, Asia-chan. Don't forget it."

The blonde's smile widened, as it did every time he gave her the same gentle chastisement, and she nodded. "Got it, sensei."

Chuckling, Issei patted her shoulder a couple of times before rising. "Dinner will be ready soon," he told them, turning to head back inside. "I can keep it warm though, so feel free to wash up before coming down."

""Right!"" Both women called after him, even as the brunet disappeared into the house.

'Those lassies are really starting to grow on me,' Scott remarked, even as his host began to take pots off the hob, twisting dials to reduce heat. 'The fire in them...I can almost feel it from here.'

Ddraig grunted. **'I had wondered if their resolve might falter in the face of such effort, but they remain true. They are worthy compatriots.'**

Issei noted that the Dragon now thought of them as 'compatriots', rather than being worthy of protection. That was an important distinction, and one that said a lot about the Great Welsh's opinion of his guests.

"They really are brilliant, aren't they?" He murmured, assembling plates of food even as he recalled the simple magic circle that kept the air around them, and by dint of that the food itself, from going cold. He had used it so often that he could most likely perform the magic in his sleep.

When the table was set, he glanced idly down at his left hand. "They're working so hard..." He clenched his fist. "And yet, here we are..."

Silence from his tenants. They understood, as well as he did. The awful truth that he refused to accept yet.

He had reached a plateau.

His body simply couldn't get any better. Not without some kind of major reconstruction. He had reached the threshold of what his form could manage, and all he could do now was maintain his edge. He could still grow his magic reserves, but his control was almost perfect – he simply lacked the capacity to focus it any more, and no amount of training would fix that.

He had reached his limit, had graduated to Journeyman and, thus, had run out of things for his teacher to pass on.

From here on out, all he had left was innovation – but that wouldn't be enough.

This couldn't be it, he knew. He held the Boosted Gear, one of the Thirteen Longinus, a God Slayer. He refused to believe that this level was as much as he could achieve, that his current state was all that he could reach.

It was _unacceptable_. He wasn't strong enough yet, hadn't fulfilled his dream – but in the past two years, he hadn't managed to grow any stronger in a manner that truly mattered. Something was holding him back, and he didn't know what.

It _ate_ at him, and seeing the girls grow stronger like they did...

A warmth dripped down his wrist, and Issei realised he'd carved bloody crescents into his hand, he'd clenched it so hard.

Letting out a deep breath, he relaxed the muscles, revealing the wounded flesh. A few seconds of concentration and a red glow sealed it, the blood running away down the sink as he scrubbed it off.

He could only hope he broke through this unexplained ceiling before the storm on the horizon hit.

If something happened that was within his power to prevent...then that made him a failure. And he _couldn't_ be a failure.

Because if he was a failure, it meant his dream wasn't enough. And if his dream wasn't enough, wasn't strong enough to keep him going...

What did he have left?

{~o~}

He was still pondering that question after Asia and Raynare had gone to bed. Though the blonde nominally had her own room, she tended to share a bed with the Fallen. It seemed that both of them found contentment in the other's presence, and Issei never said a word about it.

He lay on his back, staring unseeing at the ceiling, recalling his life to date. All the hours spent training his magic, his body, his knowledge of tactics. All the work he had done on his tools, ranging from the Tenohira to simple fire starters. All the studying to maintain his grades. All the conversations he had taken part in and learned from, understanding humanity a little bit at a time – though paying more attention to one half than the other.

All of it had been in the name of his dream...and now, doubt was trying to sink its claws into him.

Letting out a low growl of frustration, the brunet pushed himself up, heading downstairs. He couldn't sleep like this.

He moved through the house like a shadow, never making a sound. He could navigate this building with his eyes closed, should it be necessary, and his footing here would never betray him.

Of course, he didn't tend to make much noise when he moved anyway. Scott had taught him to be economical in his movements, to never expend more energy than was necessary, to be precise rather than forceful.

A Gentleman is not intrusive.

Flicking on the lights in the kitchen, he set about making some tea, just letting the...

He glanced at the clock.

2 AM silence wash over him, broken only by his heartbeat and the low whistle of water coming to boil.

He almost slipped into a trance, but an alert from his wards immediately had him snapping to attention.

Someone was approaching the house – someone with well above-average magic reserves. That meant they probably weren't human, and there was only one supernatural group he had contact with at the moment.

He was at the door before the person on the other side even knocked, unlocking it and pulling it open. He wasn't particularly worried about his visitor being hostile; and even if they were, the wards would dispel just about anything that could cause him harm before it reached him.

On the other side, one hand raised as if to rap against the portal, was Rias Gremory.

A Rias Gremory with puffy eyes, who was biting her lip, and shaking ever so slightly.

Instinct kicked in, and the brunet had the girl inside, sitting at the kitchen table with a blanket around her shoulders, and a cup of magically-assisted tea in her hands in barely half a minute, barely pausing long enough to sweep the street with his eyes before bustling into action.

As the redhead drank shakily from the calming draught, Issei leaned back against the kitchen counter, arms folded in a manner highly reminiscent of Kiba. It was a classic posture – one that tended to minimise presence, and if done well, could even cause you to be overlooked in an empty room.

Issei was a _master_. Though, he didn't take it to quite that level right now – he just kept himself in check enough for Rias not to feel pressured.

It was about a minute before the distressed woman finally broke the silence. "I..." She caught her breath, hiccuping quietly as she tried to bring herself under control, staring into the depths of her tea as if it held the answers to all life's questions. "I don't know what to do."

Issei didn't say anything yet, but he understood that Rias had just made a fairly massive confession. She was Pureblood Devil, an Heiress, and a Devil King's sister. That was a _lot_ of weight on her shoulders, a lot of expectations, and perhaps a bit too much pride. She was a highly independent girl, he knew that much – an admission like this conveyed the seriousness of the situation.

Pianist's fingers drummed on the surface of the cup. "I'm engaged," she blurted out finally, as if she wanted to get it all out as quickly as possible. "My parents did it, years ago, without me knowing or asking."

 _That_ laid out most of the puzzle in one fell swoop. Arranged marriage. Unknowing bride. Parents rooted in tradition and aristocracy. Oh, Issei did _not_ like where this was going.

"The man they want me to marry...his name is Riser Phenex." She continued, a faint creaking noise coming from her cup as she spoke the name. No love lost there, that was for damn sure. "And he is one of the most _detestable_ individuals it has ever been my misfortune to encounter.

"He's not even the heir to his family, and yet the way he speaks you'd think he was the second coming of the Morning Star himself. He built an entirely female Peerage, and then walks into Rating Games and just _throws_ them at his opponents until they're all gone or he wins. And if they're all retired, he just outlasts his opponents using his family's bloodline, never lifting a finger."

Arrogant. Privileged. Uncaring. Debased. Adjectives lined up in Issei's head, slotting into place around his mental caricature of the man Rias was describing, the one whose mere memory was enough to transform her distress to anger. As evidenced by the minute cracks running along the surface of her, thankfully now empty, cup.

"I _hate_ him." She hissed, shoulders shaking and fire in her eyes, even as her magic rose up like a cat, arching its back and spitting in rage. "The way he expects the world to bow before him, the way he treats his Peerage...everything about him makes me _sick_."

The cup finally gave up the ghost, shattering into thousands of pieces in her hands, leaking the last dregs of tea and opening a hundred tiny cuts on Rias' hands.

She didn't even wince.

"And the worst part?" She whispered, looking down at her hands as tiny rivulets of crimson began to course their way to her wrists and, eventually, the table. "In his eyes, I'm just another conquest. A warm body, and his key to the Gremory name some day." Tears fell, not for the first time that night if Issei guessed correctly. "I'm expected to spend thousands of years, to have _children_ , with a man who does not love me, and who I hate to the depths of my soul."

Teal eyes, swimming in salt water and emotion, finally looked up to where Issei stood. "I've tried everything," she whispered. "Talking with my parents, my brother, with Grayfia-onee-sama, with any lawyer I could find...but they all just look at me like a _child_." Anger flared once more, and one clenched, bloody fist slammed into the wooden surface of the table, setting the furniture groaning.

"Never mind that I'm a Pureblood! Never mind that I've been trained from _birth_ to be a leader! Never mind that I've been responsible for half this territory for the past two years!" Another hit to the table, the creak of protesting material. "They just say 'it's your responsibility', or 'the name of Gremory demands it'."

Her aura sank once more, anger flowing away, as Rias raised her hands to her face – uncaring of the bloody marks she left. "It's _always_ Gremory..." She murmured, so quiet that anyone but Issei may well not have heard her. "Once...just _once_...I wish it could be Rias."

She finally reached her limit, and quiet sobs wracked her frame as a pink mix of blood and tears fell from beneath her hands, the room silent but for her distress.

Finally, Issei moved.

He pushed himself off the wall, walking around to be beside Rias, raising one hand and waving it over the surface in front of her. Shattered cup rose from the table, from in her palms, from the floor, and piled itself on the counter. The remains of the tea followed, flowing down the sink with an application of will. Finally, the brunet sat down beside the Devil. "Rias...look at me."

It took a few seconds, but her hands lowered, though she didn't yet open her eyes. Issei reached out, gently covering her hands with his own, the same spell he'd used on himself earlier that night soothing her palms as her flawless skin became unmarred once more. "Rias..."

Still shaking quietly, the woman finally opened her eyes, finding Issei looking at her with a tiny smile. "You've been keeping this to yourself all this time?"

The redhead sniffed, shaking her head a bit. "My Peerage know..." She told him, barely even vocalising.

"...But not the full depth of your feelings," Issei concluded. "Am I right?"

Another sniff, but Rias nodded. "I don't want to burden them..." Her hands clenched, and although there was no sign of it one his face, Issei felt his bones grind together as the strength of a Pureblood Devil was brought to bear on him. "But if the marriage goes through...then they'll be under his control too..."

A momentary image of quiet, detached Koneko being attached to a man like this flashed across Issei's mind.

"They won't." He told her, simply, quickly, quietly.

Teal eyes met his, and he squeezed her hands reassuringly. "They won't, Rias." He assured her. "And neither will you."

Releasing one of her hands, he focussed for a few moments to pull off a trick he'd developed with Raynare's aid a while ago. It turned out conjuring solid, if temporary, items was a fairly common trick among Supernaturals. Humans didn't tend to do it, because they couldn't match the power requirements or didn't have the intuition to produce anything worthwhile.

Issei wasn't exactly normal, though, and forming a tissue from his magic was well within his capabilities.

The white material formed in a soft crimson glow, and he raised it to the girl's cheeks, wiping away the blood and tears there. "On my honour as a Gentleman," he murmured, "on my pride as a Dragon, and on my name as the Gentleman Dragon, I swear this to you, Rias Gremory.

"No matter what it takes, no matter who stands against me, no matter the odds – I promise you, you will _not_ be forced into this." He conjured his best smile, the one he'd built from confidence, the one he'd forged through hours of training, that he never once allowed to falter because _a Dragon never conceives the possibility of defeat._

So long as he was smiling, he could never be put down forever.

So he smiled, and gently wrapped his arms around the shaking girl, and held her close as she allowed herself to hope. "I'm on your side, Rias." He told her. "Not the Gremorys, not Kuoh's, not even just your Peerage's – _yours_."

{~o~}

It was a long time before Rias finally exhausted herself, finally succumbing to her exhaustion around 3 AM, passing out on Issei's shoulder.

When her breath calmed, and her features relaxed in slumber, he maneuvered her with a feather's touch, lifting her into his arms without the slightest jostle, keeping his back very deliberately to the doorway behind them.

"Tell me." He announced, his tone ringing with steel. "Your inaction. What causes it?"

There was silence, until a soft, female voice broke it. "It's a family matter. Though my Master is her brother, he is no longer a Gremory by name – he has no say in these things. And I myself wield very little power in the court of opinion."

" _Family_ , you say?" The brunet's tone was a growl. "Maybe I'm just a pitiful, ignorant Human – but in my experience, no family ever does this to their child."

There was silence again, and Issei understood it. She couldn't say anything – not without taking up a position that could drag everyone involved into an escalating spiral of conflict.

Her silence was telling though.

"She sleeps here tonight," he informed the woman, still not turning, not even allowing himself to consider that another course of action could exist. "Going back to an empty home will do her no good now."

A slight rustling of cloth that might have indicated a bow. "Your character is well regarded by the Young Mistress, Hyoudou-sama. I will entrust her to you, for tonight."

Issei nodded curtly. "Then in return, I will forget your intrusion into a private domicile without invitation."

Another rustle, and this time the voice had a slight tinge of a smile to it. "My thanks, Hyoudou-sama."

The brunet shook his head. "Do not thank me, Lucifuge-sama."

Another moment of silence, as two pairs of eyes turned to the sleeping girl held rock-steady in Issei's arms. "Understood, Hyoudou-sama."

There was a whisper of power, and a glow from behind him, and the house was down one occupant.

Issei had known the moment she slipped past his wards; the Devil was incredibly powerful, and more than that, she was on a whole different level of skill from him. His protections were brilliant – for a Human.

Grayfia Lucifuge, the Strongest Queen and Sirzechs Lucifer's wife, was most definitely Not Human.

The brunet headed for the stairs. Raynare would need need to understand the situation, to prevent an incident, and Rias would need to be changed out of her clothes – her blood had stained her shirt, and tea had run into her skirt. Not to mention the tears.

She was going to need a shower in the morning...but that could wait.

The Fallen was waiting at the top of the stairs, leaning against the wall in much the same way as Issei had done earlier. One look in her eyes told Issei she understood, and he passed his sleeping burden gently into her outstretched arms before retreating to his room to speak with his tenants.

There were plans to be made, and Ddraig's experience in fighting Devils was about to become a valued commodity.

{~o~}

Rias Gremory awoke in a strange bed, to the murmur of voices and the feeling of crisp sheets against her skin.

Yawning and stretching, she looked around. From its appearance and largely clear space, she surmised this was a guest room in the Hyoudou house – and with that recollection came everything from the night before, from a missive telling her that the timetable for her wedding was being moved up, to finally reaching the point where she had to talk to _somebody,_ and finally to teleporting outside the house of the first person who came to mind, and practically dumping all her troubles on him.

She was... _mortified_. She had breached just about every rule of etiquette, she'd broken one of his cups and likely a table as well – for the love of Satan, she had _cried on him_. Here she was talking about how she was old enough to be making her own decisions, and she acted like a child...

She groaned into her hands, remembering that she couldn't even teleport away, because the house was warded.

"What am I going to do..." She whimpered, looking up sharply as there was a knock on the door. "Um...come in?"

The portal was pushed open a sliver, revealing a dark violet eye, which disappeared for a moment and was replaced with a woman backing into the room, bearing a tray in her hands before closing the door behind her using her ankle.

Rias studied her, realising this must by the Raynare who Issei had taken in. She was beautiful, that was certain; a mature beauty, full-figured and with features that wouldn't have been out of place in an art exhibition.

She felt like a Fallen – the feel of her power, what the Devil could only describe as 'burnt gold', was unmistakable. However, unlike the few others of her kind that Rias had met, there was no feel of corruption around her. No malice of any kind, despite being in the same room as someone who custom dictated was a mortal enemy.

"Good morning...Gremory-san? Or do you prefer I call you something else?"

Shaking her head to clear it, Rias cleared her throat. "Rias is fine, actually – you're Raynare-san, correct?" A nod. "Then you are a friend of Issei's, and there is no need to stand on ceremony."

The dark-haired woman smiled, nodding approvingly. "Rias-san it is, then." Walking up the bedside, she placed the tray gently across Rias' knees. "Breakfast. It's about ten in the morning right now, but Issei's kept it under a spell to keep it fresh."

The younger woman managed not to drool at the sight of the Full English breakfast before her – but just barely. "I really shouldn't be surprised that he's an expert cook..."

Raynare laughed, the sound incredibly musical for someone lost to God. "Indeed; I've been trying to find something he isn't at least competent at, but I've not managed yet."

That really didn't surprise Rias at all. Then, what the Fallen had said reached her mind. "Ten in the morning?! What about school?"

The woman waved her concerns away. "I put in a call to the principal – I'm registered as an adult living here, so I just told him that you, Issei and Asia were all sick, and that we were looking after you."

The redhead groaned. "Sona won't be pleased..."

Raynare snorted. "This would be the Student Council President?" Rias nodded, wondering where the Fallen had picked that up. "I thought so – the principal said something about trying to con someone else into 'delivering the bad news to kaichou'. It seems your friend has the faculty running scared."

The young woman laughed, feeling better for having something to feel good about. "Yes, she does. No one runs a tighter ship than Sona."

The fondness in her tone reached her eyes, and Raynare smiled. It was good to see she could still make an expression like that, after last night's breakdown. She rose from where she'd perched on the bed, gesturing first to the wardrobe. "A few sets of clothes, uniforms and underwear appeared in there last night – I'm fairly sure they're all your size, so we won't have to resort to the original plan of you borrowing from me."

She gestured to the door next. "Apparently word got to your Peerage, because they all turned up here one after another. They're all sitting about in the living room, alongside your sister in law."

Rias looked up sharply, paling. "Grayfia-onee-sama...is _here_?"

Raynare nodded. "Yes. Grayfia Lucifuge is sitting downstairs, and the last I saw her Issei was trying to convince her to drink some tea." The woman shook her head. "I swear, there's something wrong with that man..."

Shaking herself, the Fallen pointed at the food, then at Rias. "Eat first. There's a shower room two doors down on your right, and a dressing gown was part of the stuff in the wardrobe. There are plenty of towels and conditioners and such, so don't worry on that front. Get yourself cleaned up and dressed, then come on down. We're holding the main conversation 'till you get down."

As Raynare headed out, Rias called after her. "Main conversation?"

Violet eyes met hers, and they glittered with a hard light. "Mostly? How much yakitori Issei's going to make out of your fiancée."

Then she was out the door, leaving the teen Devil with a delicious breakfast, and an even more delicious prospect of something she had lacked for quite a long time now.

Hope.

{~o~}

"Really, I have to insist." Rias heard as she descended the stairs. As it turned out, the contents of the wardrobe was the contents of _her_ wardrobe – which pretty much cinched the deal that Grayfia knew where she had been last night, but hadn't interrupted, and had actually let her sleep here.

That was interesting, to say the least. But that part of the conversation could be had in private. Right now, there was an altogether different topic to discuss.

"I apologise, Hyoudou-sama," came a familiar tone from the room she was approaching, "but for me to partake of your undoubtedly fine tea before the master of the house would be entirely inappropriate."

The Devil turned the corner, and found herself looking into a living room filled with most of her social circle.

Kiba and Koneko were seated on a couch, the swordsman bearing the expression of someone committing everything they saw to memory, while her quite Rook was moving her head back and forth between the two overly-polite powerhouses in the room, as if she was at a tennis game.

Akeno had one hand on her cheek, eyes closed as she smiled, the giggling emanating from her seat an indicator of what she thought about the situation.

Raynare and Asia were seated on another couch, the older woman looking enormously entertained while her charge seemed to have absolutely no idea what she was supposed to do in this situation.

The focus of the room's attention was, of course, the duo of Grayfia and Issei, one of whom was holding a cup of what Rias assumed was tea, while the other bowed her head, seemingly looking to the floor in polite apology.

Grayfia was, unarguably, a beautiful woman. Even dressed in the uniform of a maid, as was her habit, her long, braided silver-grey hair, a shade that nearly matched her eyes, had earned her the moniker of 'The Silver-Haired Queen of Annihilation' during the Devil Civil War, combined with her ample figure and inhumanly flawless features, had earned her places in the Underworld's various fashion and beauty magazines on far more than one occasion.

She wasn't an emotive person – not generally. A lot of people believed that to be natural, but Rias knew that, really, it was a choice – Grayfia chose to hide away her feelings behind a mask at effectively all times, only lowering it to a degree even around Rias herself. Of course, no one knew how she acted in private with her husband.

No one was brave (or stupid) enough to ask either.

However, the Gremory heiress had years of experience with the woman she viewed as an elder sister – and she could see how her eyes danced, and her lips twitched. Almost exactly the same expression was on Issei's face, and she quickly realised what was actually going on.

'They're playing a game!' The realisation was startling and amusing in equal measure. The former, because she had never seen Grayfia allow so much emotion to slip through except around her husband. The latter, because apparently those two were kindred spirits; they had chosen different roles, but there was so little distinction that it was difficult to tell.

They might have continued, but Koneko noticed the girl in the doorway. "Ohaiyo, Buchou."

All eyes immediately flickered to her, various expressions of relief forming on Kiba, Akeno, Koneko and Asia – even if some of those only she would have been able to spot. No one knew her Peerage as well as she did, after all.

Raynare offered her a friendly nod, while Grayfia bowed and Issei inclined his head, since he was still holding the cup of tea. "Ohaiyo, Buchou." "Good morning, Rias." "It's good to see you, Rias-senpai." "I am pleased to see you are well, Ojou-sama."

The various greetings put a smile on her face, whatever funk remained from the previous night blowing away at being surrounded by people who saw Rias, instead of a Gremory. Issei hadn't said anything, but he turned a wry grin on Grayfia momentarily. "Alas, it seems I shall have to continue my efforts another time." His eyes twinkled as he inclined his head to the silver-haired woman. "I shall concede, for today."

That same sparkle was in Grayfia's eyes. "Very well, Hyoudou-sama."

Pacing across the room, Issei offered the drink instead to Rias, who accepted it with a slightly shy smile. Apparently he noticed, because in a gently chiding tone, he told her, "Now Rias, there is no reason to be embarrassed. I have to say, your ability to remain composed for so long with barely a hint to go on was truly remarkable."

Her smile became a bit brighter with the praise, and the brunet nodded internally. Much better. "Now that you're here," he told her, gently guiding her over to the couch where Kiba and Koneko sat, both moving up and leaving enough space for the girl to sit comfortably, "we can get down to business."

The redhead settled between her Rook and Knight, one of whom immediately pressed up to her side while the other's attentions seemed to sharpen. Apparently, Kiba was feeling a touch protective today. A rustle of cloth and a faint shadow told her that Akeno had taken up station behind her, and the close presence of her family eased the Devil even more.

Issei remained standing, as did Grayfia – neither of them was willing to take a seat before the other.

"So, we all have a basic understanding of the situation now," Issei declared, glancing around the room. "Rias has been engaged against her will to a man of... _questionable_ integrity, and I have decided that if no one else can or will do something about it, then I will."

His eyes narrowed. "We will begin with the man himself first...but after that, I intend to follow this to the top." He glanced sidelong at Grayfia. " _All_ the way to the top."

Rias very nearly choked on her tea. He couldn't mean...!

Sharp brown eyes met hers, and the Red Dragon Emperor favoured her with a vicious grin. "Yes, Rias. It may be a Gentleman's prerogative to be respectful of a lady's family, but unless I am satisfied with their reasoning, I am not inclined to afford your parents that respect."

"Issei..." Rias managed to get out, both Koneko and Kiba rubbing circles on her back. "You want to challenge a Lord of the Seventy-Two Pillars on something that, in his view, you have absolutely no say in?"

The brunet nodded, seeming cheery although the Devil was sure he was masking something else. "Indeed. I swore that you would never be forced under the control of Riser or anyone else, and for that to happen I must cut off any issues at the head. Hence, the source."

'He makes it sound so easy...'

"Buchou." Kiba was chiming in now, and one look at her Knight showed the resolve burning in him. "Issei is right." Rias blinked; when had the blond stopped using the honorific? "This issue began with your parents. I do not mean to insult them, but they must understand that this is unacceptable before we can be assured of your safety."

Glances to her other side and over her shoulder revealed that Akeno and Koneko both agreed.

"This is ridiculous..." She whispered. "Both my parents fought in the Civil War; that they were on the front lines and survived is already a sign of their strength."

Issei just hummed in agreement. "Indeed. And yet, here we are."

As she stared up at the utterly composed brunet before her, Rias could see the Dragon in him. For years after this time, she would remember that image as the first time she truly began to understand Issei Hyoudou.

At that time, she just cursed her traitorous heart for beating faster, flushing her cheeks red. "You're insane..."

A genuine smile this time. "To the outside observor, the lengths a Gentleman is willing to go to for a lady may well be mistaken for insanity. We prefer to think of it as being committed to our role."

Kiba nodded seriously, and Rias gave up. "So the plan is to break off the engagement with Riser, likely with extreme prejudice, and then move up the chain to my father?"

As Issei nodded cheerily, Grayfia stirred. "As it happens," she began, "Sirzechs-sama had the foresight to so some research prior to my coming here – and he may well have found something we can use."

Four pairs of eyes turned on the Queen, two vicious grins and two visages of steely determined giving her their full attention. "We're listening, Lucifuge-sama."

* * *

Compendium:

 **Space Expansion:** A technique commonly used among the Three Factions, this allows the fabric of reality to be folded in on itself, creating an area where there is more space than should be possible. It can be used for everything from creating expanded pockets to hiding entire buildings or even cities in a space thinner than an atom.

 **Sensei:** Teacher, or Doctor.

 **Kaichou:** Student Council President. The Sitri Peerage's "pet name" for Sona, as well as her role.

 **Onee-sama:** A respectful term for an older sister.

 **Ohaiyo:** Basically "good morning".

 **Buchou:** President. The Gremory Peerage's "pet name" for Rias.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **And we're back again, this time with a chapter that's almost entirely emotional stuff. Canon diverts once again with the Riser arc beginning, and you can rest assured the differences don't end here.**

 **Raynare and Asia train for the sake of one another and their host, who struggles to come to terms with the possibility that there might be a limit his determination cannot carry him through. Rias develops a deeper connection with Issei, while at the same time her Peerage start to follow in the same vein. Grayfia and Sirzechs are getting involved, with the Crimson Satan working behind the scenes as the Dragon rears.**

 **Please, let me know what you thought of the chapter; am I doing the characters justice? Moving too fast? Is anyone acting strangely? If you agree or disagree, have a completely different opinion or want to offer a suggestion, leave a review – I read all of them, and I'll try my best to reply to any suggestions given.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Ja ne!**


	6. A Gentleman's Wrath Burns Cold

"Normal Speech"

/"Foreign Language"/

'Thought / Scott Speaking'

' _Issei Thinking_ '

 **'Ddraig Speaking'**

" **Technique** "

 **[Announcements]**

{~o~}

Grayfia managed to buy them two days for planning time.

She had managed to explain the basics of Sirzechs' plan quickly, and had then disappeared, explaining that she couldn't be away from her Master for too long in the current situation. It went unsaid that, should someone note her absence, dots might be connected – and the Crimson Satan could _not_ be tied back to this. If that happened, the whole scheme may well topple – and while Plan B did exist, it mostly involved the words 'training montage' and possibly a burnt offering to whatever God might care enough to listen.

No one was particularly interested in that.

There was, technically, something else that could be done...but apart from one or two sidelong glances, no attention was ever brought to it. Issei had said he would protect Rias if it killed him, and he had meant it – but he wanted _every_ option exhausted before they moved to what he had labelled Plan Z.

Two hours into their council of war, a single sheet of paper had appeared on the table in a tell-tale whisper of Demonic power, and a swirling, cursive script had let them know that, somewhere in the Underworld Government, _someone_ had dropped the ball – and now, Riser Phenex's journey to the Human World, which had been scheduled for that afternoon, had been set back two days.

Truly, the more he interacted with that woman, the more Issei was absolutely sure that there was a thing or two he could learn from her. Perhaps she would be willing to teach him...?

Ah, well. Something to think on later. For now, he and the others were cementing the plan, getting ready for later that day. The school believed that the ORC had all infected one another with the same illness and had been recovering in their homes, thanks to Sona running interference with the understanding that Rias, and Issei, both owed her.

The redhead had seemed a touch miffed, but sighed resignedly and put it from her mind. The brunet had just wondered what the Student Council President might call in a favour for that he wouldn't have done at a lady's request anyway.

Everything was set. Their plan was as airtight as it was likely to get.

And as all of the people involved headed to school that morning, Rias accompanying Issei and Asia as she had chosen to bunk in their house over the planning period at her host's gentle insistence, they hoped it would be enough.

{~o~}

When classes ended, Issei walked Asia to the gate and handed her off to Raynare. She was in disguise of course, with her magical signature suppressed to basically non-existent, but neither of them was willing to let the former nun walk home alone.

The blonde had managed to surprise her male rescuer with a hug, accompanied by a heartfelt wish for good fortune. He had kept his cool, assuring her he would be fine, and exchanged glances with Raynare.

They had spoken almost every morning, afternoon and evening for the past two weeks, coming to understand one another. They had sparred, and although that generally consisted of Issei introducing new ways of slapping her around, it too had brought them closer.

She didn't need words to wish him good luck.

As he watched the two girls walk away, Issei's genial expression had faded, to be replaced with a cool detachment.

It was game time.

Ten minutes later, everyone was assembled in the ORC's club room. Rias was seated behind her desk, Koneko on a couch which had been shifted to place her closer to the other girl. Kiba leaned against the wall behind the Rook's seat, his eyes sharp; with his speed, he could vault over the obstruction in the time most people took to blink. Akeno was standing at her King's shoulder, smiling mask in place, letting nothing show.

Issei had a chair to himself, and was seated across from the girl who he had promised to save. All of them were waiting to play their parts, although with any luck only Rias and Issei himself would be needed.

They were the actors in this little piece. The others were for if things went the worst way, and they had to implement one of the backup plans.

Finally, Grayfia appeared; she took up station in the corner of the room, not appearing to take notice of any of the others present.

That was their advance warning.

Barely ten seconds later, the magical circle carved into the floor of the room glow for a moment, then erupted into a pillar of flames.

Issei added 'showman' to his mental description of Riser.

"It's been quite some time," came a voice from the flames, "since I visited the human world."

Rias hadn't been kidding, had she? The sheer amount of disdain present in the words was almost awe-inspiring – as if the entire realm they occupied were worth little more than the dirt on the speaker's shoe.

Arrogance didn't even begin to cover it.

The fire died down, and Issei's sharp brown eyes immediately began pulling the revealed figure apart in his mind.

'Playboy' dress style, maroon slacks and jacket, white button-up shirt with the top two popped. Affected a lack of caring; attempted to convey that the wearer had no need to try while also emphasising physique.

Build wasn't much to speak of. Muscle definition was evident, but was based solely on a lack of fat presence – very few signs of actual training having been undergone. The two possible explanations were that he was a spoiled child who never needed to try, or that all his training had been directed to non-physical pursuits. Issei expected it was both.

Face was...sharp. Save for a decently rounded chin, the cheekbones were prominent and high, while his eyes seemed almost carved – as if someone had drawn a rhombus, then pasted it over his face. Dark blue irides, dirty-blond hair; signs of Phenex heritage. Definitely contributed to 'playboy' status. And, of course, his expression.

Needless to say, he was sneering at life, the universe and everything.

Analysis complete, the brunet was completely overlooked when the man's eyes swept over the room, locking onto Rias. "It's good to see you again, my dear Rias."

Oh, dear _God_ – what the Hell was that tone? It fused smug satisfaction with some sort of underlying promise – violence, perhaps? There were even elements of what he thought might be arousal mixed in.

He was going to have to wash his ears out after this...

Riser began to walk forward, arrogance dripping from his every movement like toxin from a snake's fang. He got as far as the desk before suddenly finding his path was blocked.

As he took a moment to process the fact that someone had actually dared exist in a space he wished to occupy, Issei started the production. "Rias," he spoke idly, as if utterly uninterested in the fact that he was face to face with a scion of the seventy-two pillars, "who is this?"

Apparently the undertones of condescension worked, because the blond in front of him narrowed his eyes immediately. "Who am _I_?" He growled, the air warming around his frame. "Insects like you should know better than to make demands of your betters, _human_."

He was rather quick to decide that, wasn't he? Either he couldn't be bothered to look past that part of his being to see the Dragon, or he was a worse sensor than Issei. Either way, he could appreciate being underestimated. "Oh?" He drawled, making a show of looking up and down the man in front of him. "My betters? That's a rather significant claim to make for a man who won't even introduce himself."

Eyes narrowed further. The temperature rose. "His name is Riser Phenex," Rias spoke up from behind the desk, her expression the perfect mix of distaste and disdain as she looked down her nose at the blond, despite his face being at least two feet above hers at the time. "My father, in his _infinite_ wisdom, saw fit to betroth me to him."

She shook her head. "Much as I love the man, I wonder sometimes if he might be going a touch senile."

Now _this_ was where the play really kicked off. It was one thing, for a human child to make a joke about their parents getting old and going a little crazy. When you were an Heiress, expected at all times to respect your family, and you were speaking about a Lord of the Seventy-Two Pillars...well, people had been killed over less.

Riser knew this. And because he knew this, he had an idea of _just how much_ Rias disagreed with marrying him, that Rias would actually say such a thing with their engagement as the basis. And she had said that in front of her entire Peerage, a Devil King's Queen, and an unknown human. She had _embarrassed_ him.

If he had been a decent sort, he might well have stopped right there as he comprehended the depth of her conviction to not marry him. As it was?

He just got angry.

However, he knew damn well that he couldn't direct his anger at Rias or her Peerage – not with Grayfia there, and not without likely voiding the marriage contract. So, he immediately turned on the only thing in reach he could actually try to let loose on.

"Yes, my name is Riser Phenex," he spat out. "A Pureblood of the Seventy-Two Pillars. And you _will_ show me the respect I deserve human!"

The brunet just looked at him, an expression of vague amusement fixed on his lips. "You expect me to show you respect. For what? For being born from two Devils? For having the luck to be born to two _specific_ Devils?" He let loose a mocking laugh. "If respect were earned so easily, I would have to respect every blade of grass I saw for not growing to be blue!"

Another insult. This time, offered by someone who Riser saw as having no power and no protection. "You _dare_!" He yelled out, fire springing to life in his hands, a sadistic grin spreading across his lips as he brought the flames up to grab Issei around the neck...

Only to find his wrists caught in an iron grip, and that a pair of icy cold brown eyes were suddenly right in his face. " _I_ dare?" Came the chilled voice, amusement barely audible. "My daring is very little, compared to a Noble who would attack another Noble's vassal in that Noble's very presence, on her ground, and in the view of a highly credible witness."

For a few seconds, the Devil didn't seem to understand. Then, a look of mild panic mixed with terror crossed his features, as the full import of what had just been said sank in.

Rias finished hammering down the nail. "Ah yes, my friend hasn't been introduced yet, has he?" She mused, tapping her chin as if it had only just occurred to her.

The vengeful glee burning in her eyes told a different story, however.

"Issei, would you please?"

The brunet glanced over his shoulder, and nodded. "Certainly, Rias." He faced back toward Riser, a smirk crossing his features as he offered a mocking tilt of the head. "Greetings, Riser Phenex. My name is Issei Hyoudou, Gentleman and Pact Magician to Rias Gremory. I make her tea, I consult with her on magic, and I provide genial conversation."

His eyes flashed. "And I also prevent her being hassled by self-entitled... _individuals_ such as yourself."

The man paled, and Rias chimed in once more, taking sadistic pleasure from the sudden change in the situation's equilibrium. "Yes, Riser Phenex. This is Issei Hyoudou. He is my Pact Magician, and as such, serves as my Vassal." Her eyes narrowed. "And I do believe you just attempted to attack him."

The blond was screwed. No, not screwed – he was _fucked_. And he knew it.

Since the Civil War, a lot of reforms had been put in place regarding what was, and what was not, allowed in interactions between Devils. When the Evil Piece System was implemented, those new laws had been expanded to encompass Peerages...but certain, older laws still held prevalence.

For example, with Pact Magicians.

It was a fairly common practice. A Devil could seek out, or be sought out by, a Magician; then, should the two come to an agreement, a magical contract would be entered into by both parties. Each enjoyed the protection and advice of the other...but in the case of Pureblood Devils, and in particular Clan Heads, Heirs and Heiresses, there were a couple of other things.

For example; any Magician who entered into a Pact with them was immediately classified as a Vassal of that Clan, meaning they had rights in the eyes of the Underworld. Rights that afforded them a status similar to High-Class Devils.

There were only 34 of the 72 Pillars remaining in the Underworld, due to some dying out or having their status revoked for various reasons. Not all of them had Heirs. And Pact Magicians had become far less common after the Evil Pieces rose, since Magicians could now simply be reincarnated as Bishops.

All told, there were maybe between twenty or thirty Pureblood Pact Magicians currently established in the Underworld. As a result of their low profile, those rights generally weren't needed.

Until someone did something stupid.

Like attack one, in the presence of his Pact Devil, in that Devil's territory, while being looked at by an Ultimate Devil who happened to have the ear of a Devil King – one whose little sister was being forced into a marriage he _very publicly_ did not approve of.

This man had him by the balls – and by the expression of cold triumph on his face, he knew it. He could basically demand anything in recompense; attempted assassination of a High-Class Devil carried a death penalty in the Underworld, originally put in place when the only High-Classes were Pureblood and thus needed alive to help re-populate, but never retracted after Reincarnated Devils ascended to that level.

Right then, the Phenex scion wished desperately that he'd paid more attention to that section of the law while he was studying.

Issei released the man's wrists, and he immediately backed off several steps. The amalgamation of frustration, fear and panic in his expression was an interesting one, and the brunet could honestly say he'd never seen something like it before. Was this how politicians and celebrities looked when they walked out of the Red Light District and found a camera in their faces?

"...A Rating Game." Riser blurted, choosing the one and only possibility he had of getting out of this relatively unscathed. His reputation would fall no matter what – he had walked right into this, and he knew for a fact that the rumours would probably have spread across half the Underworld by the time he returned. "I'll agree to a Rating Game. You set the terms."

Rias breathed a mental sigh of relief, while Issei's grin turned feral. " _Excellent,_ " he hissed. "If you wish for my advice as your Magician, Rias, then I would wager the marriage between yourself and this... _Devil_."

Riser growled low in his throat. That was his insult from earlier being thrown back at him – and the thing was, since he took so much pride in his species, he couldn't even do anything about it. No matter the condescension in the tone.

"We are of one mind, Issei." Rias drawled, still seemingly utterly untroubled. "Well, Riser? My condition upon victory is the nullification of our marriage contract." She tilted her head slightly, a mocking twist on her lips. "And what would you have, if you won?"

More gritting of teeth from the Phenex, his temper strained to breaking point. She wasn't even trying to hide the fact that she was implying he had no chance of winning – that her victory was absolutely ensured.

It never even occurred to him that getting him angry was exactly what they wanted.

"If I win," he spat, "you never again try to oppose the marriage between us – you become my bride willingly!"

Over her King's shoulder, Akeno broke her silence with a mocking giggle. "Ara ara...to think, that a scion of the seventy-two pillars would need a Rating Game to make a woman share his bed..."

Mentally, Issei started clapping. That was a flawlessly delivered barb – and it might well prove highly advantageous.

The raging Phenex glared daggers at the utterly unconcerned Akeno. "Wrong, _Low-Class._ " He snarled, and behind him the magical circle burst into flames once more. "A Devil of my stature will never want for such things!"

The flames died down, and Issei got his first look at Riser's Peerage.

Rias was correct. They _were_ all women.

Tall, short, petite, buxom, wild, composed...it appeared as if the man had attempted to get at least one of every possible body type, and judging by the costumes they wore, he'd tried to fit all the archetypes too.

It was a full group – fifteen women, one of whom Riser reached back and dragged forward. She was tall, with a largely exposed bust that might well have exceeded even Grayfia's.

Both her hair and eyes were a royal purple, several shades darker than the lilac skirt that fell around her legs, bearing a large slit up the left leg. An indigo corset wrapped around her abdomen, but left a massive cleavage window, only concealing enough to keep her decent. A golden choker, set with gemstones, was around her neck in a style reminiscent of Egypt – that was continued by the plates on her shoulders, that wouldn't have been out of place on a sarcophagus. They served as pauldrons of a sort on her white robes, which were trimmed with a darker indigo.

This, Issei surmised, must be Yubelluna – Riser's Queen, known as the 'Bomb Queen', and his strongest Piece.

And the expression of adoring submission on her face, that she wore as the Phenex roughly stuck his tongue down her throat, was absolutely fake.

Scott's outraged roar was joined by a molten fury from Ddraig, Issei struggling to keep himself and his tenants under control as the air in the room suddenly closed around its occupants like a blanket. Though Rias, Akeno, Koneko and Kiba were spared the worst, even they gasped; Grayfia didn't seem to notice beyond blinking once; but Riser...

He drew back from his Queen as if burned, grabbing at his throat and choking, falling to his knees as his eyes widened in panic.

" _You..._ "

Dark blue eyes shot upwards, finding a formerly cold face that bore all the fury of the Great Welsh who resided in his fist. " _Your Peerage...just what the Hell have you been doing to them?_ "

He struggled to get out the words – to deride the human for assuming he could tell a Pureblood how to run their Peerage – but there wasn't enough air in his lungs, and soon only his regeneration would be keeping him conscious. " _These women...did you turn them just for your pleasure? Did you take their humanity to serve as nothing more than_ bodies _?_ "

The Phenex said nothing, too busy choking – but Issei and Rias both caught the expression that flitted across Yubelluna's face. She finally startled out of the trance she had seemed to go into when her King collapsed, raising the sceptre in her hand to level it at Issei.

"Hyoudou-sama."

The utterly calm voice cut across the space, and brown eyes tightened with rage glanced at the speaker. "I must ask that you control yourself. Your aura is currently too oppressive for Phenex-sama."

The glower on Issei's face remained for a few moments more, before every emotion slid away from his features, the pressure relenting at long last.

Riser climbed to his feet immediately, red in the face. "You!" He stabbed a finger at Issei. "You dare attack a scion of the seventy-two pillars?!"

"Attack?" It was Grayfia who spoke, sounding slightly confused. "Phenex-sama, that was not an attack. Hyoudou-sama was simply displeased, and his emotions leaked into his aura. Everyone here was affected."

The red face got redder. The Strongest Queen had just basically slapped him in the face with the fact that his Peerage, Rias and her Peerage, had barely been affected by that force – but it had brought him to his knees.

If he didn't kill something _right fucking now_ , he was going to explode.

It was the first and last time Riser Phenex and Issei Hyoudou would ever think the same thing.

" _Lucifuge-sama._ " Though his face was without expression, Issei's voice was still tight with barely repressed violence. " _When can this Rating Game begin?_ "

"All the preparations have been made, Hyoudou-sama." The seemingly calm woman replied. "We can hold it today, if that is Rias-ojou-sama's wish."

Nodding jerkily, Issei turned to the redhead. He met her eyes, then bowed his head and collapsed to one knee, much as he had one with Asia. "Lady Rias," he began, making use of all his self control to keep his voice from shaking, "I beg you to listen to my request."

Rias' expression was stony, carved from rock – and Issei knew she was enraged too. "Speak your request, Issei."

"Please, allow me to be your representative in this Rating Game."

And there it was. The crux of their plan, the one they had conceived after hours of studying the law of the Underworld, the one that they were perfectly situated to make use of. By becoming a Pact Magician for a Pureblood Heir, Issei was a High-Class Devil in all but species. And as such, he could take part in unofficial Rating Games like this one, even without being a Devil.

The redhead had argued about it. So had her Peerage. And Raynare. And even Asia had chipped in, timidly voicing her concern for the Emperor.

He had just smiled at all of them, and begged that they allow him to fulfil the promise he had made to Rias.

They'd basically been forced to let him do it after that. Yes, there was cunning behind all the gentle smiles and self-deprecating actions – and he wasn't afraid to use it.

Rias pretended to consider it – but now, her reservations were gone. She knew her Peerage wouldn't be able to hand this fight...but Issei held a Longinus. He was on a level beyond any of them.

And he had promised her.

"I will allow it."

Issei bowed his head once more, then looked up. His face was utterly blank, but his eyes...triumph and gratitude shone on her for a moment, before he began to stand, and the fury began to glow like a supernova.

" _Lucifuge-sama, let us begin._ " He turned to face Riser and his Peerage, eyes that were now beginning to glow crimson focussing on the Phenex Scion. " _Unless of course, the ever so proud Pureblood Devil is too much of a coward to face one man?_ "

Flames started breaking out all over the older man's frame, and he growled like a wild animal. "Let's start this already!" He barked. "I have a worm to teach his place!"

He didn't know why the brunet started smiling at that. Nor why the smile sent shivers down his spine.

Nor did he know that Ddraig did not take kindly to the comparison.

Though if he had known, he might not have been so keen to accept the challenge.

{~o~}

The battlefield Issei found himself in was a reconstruction of Kuoh Academy. He recognised that he had been summoned in the ORC's club room, but his focus wasn't on his surroundings.

" **Ddraig.** "

The Boosted Gear roared to life around his left hand, the emerald on the back of his hand flaring like the sun as its occupant's power surged, rushing into Issei's body.

 **[Boost!]**

His plan, as it went, was simple.

 **[Boost!]**

Stage One, track down all the female members of Riser's Peerage.

 **[Boost!]**

Stage Two, ask pointed questions about their experiences with the man. Accumulate data.

 **[Boost!]**

Stage Three, render all female members unconscious and thus have them ejected from the Rating Game largely unharmed.

 **[Boost!]**

Stage Four, find Riser.

 **[Boost!]**

Stage Five...well, he was still planning Stage Five really. All he had so far was 'extreme prejudice'.

Six boosts. Sixty four times his standard abilities. Roughly one hundred and ninety six times the abilities of a standard human.

A Queen piece such as Yubelluna's afforded its user attributes which raised them up to twenty or thirty times the human norm – Rook, Knight and Bishop pieces afforded boost of roughly forty times in their categories. Pawns got about a ten times boost before Promotion. A Pureblood Devil generally clocked in at between fifteen and twenty physically, fifty magically.

That meant he was facing the equivalent of roughly three hundred and seventy humans – about twice his current power level.

"It's been a while since we needed this, eh Ddraig?" Issei mused, beginning to walk toward the wall of the room, taking little notice of how the air shook in his presence, his hair rose as if in a gale, or the wood around him splintered as he walked.

 **'That it has, Partner. Are you prepared?'**

A hum of agreement from Issei. "Let's do this."

 **[Boost!]**

 _{~o~}_

The wall ceased to exist.

It didn't take much; just a swift wave of his hand and the pressure wave was enough to blow a hole straight to the outside.

Well, that was about par for the course. He was operating at one hundred and twenty eight times standard power, which was round about three hundred and eighty four times human norm. In other words, at the moment, he was just about breaking even with Riser's entire Peerage in terms of pure power – without factoring in his skill or techniques.

He was going to pay for this later. Seven Boosts put a Hell of a strain on him, although far less these days after constant practice. But Asia would probably have to take a look at him.

Still, he could hold it more than long enough for this.

"Now..." He mused, cracking his neck. "Let us attend to the women."

{~o~}

 _None of them fought for real._

 _That was the thing Issei noticed most as the girls came to him, or went to them. Sure they threw spells, leapt at him, brandished weapons – but not one of them exhibited the level of power he would have expected._

 _He could see it in their eyes, the reason why. When he asked about their King. When he asked about the outfits they wore. He saw the flashes of hatred, of despair, of fear and disgust._

 _From one or two, he gleaned stories as he ignored blows that could have felled trees, which he chose to take head-on to prolong the fight and keep them talking._

 _A lot of them, it seemed, were grateful to have a punching bag._

 _Some were from the streets. Others warring countries. The two twins with chainsaws were Nekomata, largely scorned and shunned by the Underworld after the Nekoshou were exterminated. But all of them, with the exception of one, were at rock bottom when Riser Phenex came to them._

 _Promises of comfortable living. Food. Water. Medicine. A roof over their heads. All they had to do was accept him as their King..._

 _And live a life of complete servitude to a man whose natural regenerative abilities meant he was likely never to die._

 _None were at the point of suicide – they had found strength in one another, had learned to cope – but they were not living. Not really; not when they constantly feared for what might happen to them, or to the others in the Peerage they had come to care about._

 _When Xuellan fell, she told him that it didn't matter if they won or lost. One way or another, nothing would change._

 _Nothing would ever change._

 _When he engaged Ravel Phenex, who was leading the remaining Pawns and one Rook, Isabela he believed, there were tears in her eyes._

 _Not for her. For them. Riser couldn't touch her – it seemed there were limits to his debauchery – but a sense of family obligation had placed her in this situation, and she had no power with which to help her fellow Peerage members._

 _After he had put her troops to sleep, she simply crumpled to her knees, crying quietly._

 _He stood over her for a long moment. Then, he had offered her his hand._

"Come with me," _he had said._ "If you come, they will follow. It is you they look to – not him. So, for their sake and yours, will you please let me help?"

 _Her tiny fingers were warm in his larger palm, and he kept that contact until they reached Yubelluna – the last Piece on the board, save for Ravel herself._

 _She had taken one look at them – at the girl who dared to hope, standing by a man whose physical form strained to contain his power – and she had smiled. Landed beside them, passed Issei a small vial of Phenex Tears. Then she had pressed a single kiss to his cheek._ "For luck," _she said._

 _He knew she understood what the consequences could be for this._

 _But he also knew that she didn't care. She had made a positive impression if he won. She had made herself a target instead of the other Peerage members if he didn't._

 _But she was helping her sisters no matter what._

 _She went to sleep willingly, and Issei pressed on._

 _Riser was standing atop the main school building, his form ablaze, his eyes proclaiming his fury to the world. He had heard his Pieces being retired, one by one – but he didn't care. They were never meant to do anything; they tested the waters, allowed him to look better when he took the stage for the grand finale._

 _It was all about him. No one gave two shits about the Low-Class Devil bitches he'd taken as Peerage. They were former humans, two were even Youkai. They were worth nothing more than what they could provide him._

 _But the sight of his sister, his Pureblood sister, being led by the hand? Standing there, staring at him with defiance and an incredible sadness? That was the straw that broke the camel's back._

 _Watching as the man who, he now knew, could_ not _be Human, gently pushed her into the sky, where she hovered as an observer, and smiling at her so gently...it made him confident. He was compassionate – that meant he was weak. He could exploit that. He opened his mouth, to begin the barrage of vitriol and insult..._

 _And then the world was pain._

{~o~}

Issei's first strike was a death blow.

He left a five metre crater behind him when he leapt, and then smashed his unarmoured fist into the Devil's jaw, much as he had done to Freed.

There was nothing left of Riser's head but a fine red mist. Bone became powder, flesh became jelly, brain matter became liquid – then the pressure wave was met by the source, and the energy was too much for the material. Component molecules broke apart. Sub-atomic bonds shattered. The air caught fire and burned away what remained.

It only put Riser down for about five seconds. Instantly, the fire burst from the stump of his neck, and his head reformed as if it had never been gone.

Truly, that was an awe-inspiring power. And perfect for Issei, too.

Here was a _real_ target.

The second blow crunched into Riser's stomach, and tore him in two. Blood evaporated. Organs pulsated and tore apart. Bone shattered like glass.

The two halves fell apart, but the flames anchored them, pulled them together, replaced the destroyed matter. Seven seconds to make a single living creature from two dead halves.

Magic was a beautiful thing.

His axe kick to the newly recovered stomach destroyed pretty much everything except the head, lower legs and hands. It also destroyed the main school building.

In the part of his mind not currently occupied by Retribution, Issei wondered what Sitri would think if she could see this.

Then, Riser's flames had pulled him back together and rebuilt his form, and it was time to get back to work.

{~o~}

He killed him approximately sixty times before his Boosted senses informed Issei that Riser was almost out of power. He had enough in him to recover once more, before he began taking injuries for real.

Time for the Coup de Grâce.

The Devil was just barely conscious, rendered nearly catatonic from the pain of being torn apart on the molecular level over and over again. But when a hand gripped his shoulder, then tossed him into the sky so hard he crashed into the ceiling of the artificial dimension, he felt it.

Then there was a presence beside him, falling at the same rate – the Phenex had neither the power nor the focus to conjure his wings.

"The man who developed this technique..." The figure informed him, "wasn't the best Gentleman to ever exist. In fact, he was quite the pervert."

Despite the amiable tone of voice, Riser could feel the almost infinite rage seething beside him. Could feel the aura that tore at the air and his very soul, and the feral delight his opponent took in tearing him apart.

"But he was a great warrior. And I think he would forgive me for borrowing it."

Issei tilted himself downward, kicking off the air. It was an easy trick, creating planes of magical force – the ability to form them in mid-air, while falling and holding a conversation was not so much.

He hit the ground hard enough to leave a fissure across the campus, then immediately pushed off again, incanting as he went. " **Anti-Manner...** "

Then Riser was directly above him, his leg moved fast enough to set itself and the atmosphere around it alight, and Ddraig made his announcement.

 **[128 Times: EXPLOSION!]**

" **KICK COURSE!** "

{~o~}

The Universe held its breath for a moment, when the technique connected. Physics processed the blow, just slowly enough for an eternally fleeting moment of pause, where all observers could very clearly see that, yes, Issei Hyoudou had just channelled enough power to demolish a mountain top into a blow directly to Riser Phenex's crotch.

Then Reality caught up, and not only did the Devil's lower half disappear, his upper half fractured the dimension's artificial ceiling.

And as Issei fell back to the artificial Earth, landing lightly and letting out a deep breath, Grayfia's voice rang out – and the vindictive amusement there was just loud enough to be caught.

 **[Riser Phenex has retired. Victory goes to Issei Hyoudou.]**

{~o~}

The brunet grinned to himself. "Thanks for lending me your power, Ddraig."

The Dragon grunted. **'Think nothing of it Partner. He paid his due for insulting a Heavenly Dragon. Besides,'** the drake sounded almost amused, **'if you believed I had held back, dealing with you two would have been far too troublesome.'**

Scott and Issei laughed vindictively together, even as the world began to fade away in white light. "Well whaddya know? You actually do know us that well, Ddraig."

The Dragon grumbled, the Mage laughed, and the Gentleman rolled his shoulders as his feet touched carpeted floor once again. A light moment, before what came next.

Even as running feet approached him, his thoughts turned to the future. _'One down. Four to go.'_

Rias burst into the room first, and immediately flung herself into the brunet's arms, incoherent but incredibly joyful sounds echoing from her throat, tears dripping from her eyes as her target put one arm around her and rubbed gentle circles into her back.

The rest of her Peerage entered on her heels. Koneko walked up to him, looked into his eyes, and smiled – just a tiny expression, but the most he'd seen her emote yet. "Thank you."

He smiled right back. "It was no trouble, Toujou-san."

The girl shook her head. "Koneko."

The brunet blinked, but then smiled all the wider as one hand reached forward, resting on her shoulder. "Koneko-san it is, then."

Up next was Kiba, who looked between Issei and the girl still alternating between crying, laughing, spewing thanks and, apparently, highlights from the 'fight'. He looked at the brunet, then bowed to almost ninety degrees. "As my King's Knight, I offer you my most sincere thanks for your aid."

Issei opened his mouth to speak, but then the blond rose, and extended one arm. "And as a Gentleman, I acknowledge you as the better man. I hope we can work together for a long time now, Issei-senpai."

The brunet blinked twice, then laughed as he clasped the proffered arm with his own. "I always wanted a kohai," he told Kiba with a smile. "Please take care of me."

From the doorway, Akeno chuckled. "Ufufufu...oh, we'll take good care of you, Shinchi-kun." She walked up, swaying from side to side, her cheeks flushed bright red while her breath came short. "We are, after all, _incredibly_ ," she licked her lips," _grateful_ for what you've done."

She walked right into his personal space, looking him in the eye with a gaze that reminded him of an apex predator. "You've certainly earned a reward~"

Trying desperately to maintain his composure, Issei went to try and head that off before anything happened...but Rias looked up from where she had buried her head in his chest, gaze locked on her Queen. " _Mine_." She hissed, and Akeno's features grew playful.

"Rias, you're going to keep him to yourself?" She pouted, but the laughter in her eyes offset the expression. "That's just no fair. I want a hug too~"

The redhead growled, like a big cat defending its territory, her arms actually finding a way to tighten around the boy she was holding. " _Mine_."

Going a bit red in the face from both the situation and a dwindling air supply, Issei managed to cough. "Rias, though I have no issue with being your..." He paused, trying to think of just what the Hell kind of role he was filling in this situation. "... _stress relief_ ," he finally decided on, "in this situation, I do request that I be allowed to breath."

The redhead blinked, seemingly realising she was holding Issei hard enough to lift his feet off the floor. "Ah! Sorry, Issei-kun..."

She set him back down gently, taking a half-step back and starting to brush non-existent dust from his shirt, surreptitiously running her hands across the defined muscles it concealed as she did so.

The brunet chuckled. "Not at all, Rias."

He looked over her shoulder. "Well, Lucifuge-sama?"

The other four occupants of the room turned around, finding that Grayfia stood in the doorway. Rias immediately began looking back and forth between the woman and Issei, biting her lip, before finally coming to some internal decision and sliding her arm through the brunet's.

There was a flash of something in those silver-blue eyes, but before Issei could identify it, the woman bowed her head. "Phenex-sama has been relegated to an Underworld Hospital for his injuries. However, his Peerage have yet to return."

Issei smiled. "Good. I wanted to speak with them." He glanced sideways at the woman on his arm. "Rias, will you please accompany me? I wish to make them an offer, but it requires your authority."

The redhead nodded instantly. "Of course, Issei-kun."

As the two headed out, Koneko and Kiba on their heels, Akeno and Grayfia hung back for a moment. Both were expressionless, and each glanced at the other for a moment, thinking along similar lines.

"Lucifuge-sama..." The younger woman began, "was this Sirzechs-sama's plan all along?"

The maid's eyes faced down the corridor, fixed on the adjacent backs of the young man and woman walking arm-in-arm, and a tiny smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. "Who's to say?" She answered, a careful trickle of happiness in her voice. "My Master has many plans. I'm sure I wouldn't know what goes on in his mind."

Beside her, Akeno chuckled. "I see..." Mischief and something else made their way into violet eyes. "In that case, maybe I should make some plans of my own~"

As one Queen set off after her King, the other remained two steps behind, and allowed herself an unseen smile of satisfaction.

All was going according to plan.

* * *

Compendium:

 **Anti-Manner Kick Course:** A technique invented by a man whose love of cooking was matched only by his love of women...and his lack of self-restraint. Issei, as something of a closet otaku, regards it as a 'guilty pleasure' finisher technique.

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Back again, with another chapter wrapped up.**

 **So the poll ended last night – and the final result was 13 Yes and 13 No. So...yeah. That just set me on an entirely different course, and this is what happened. Issei won't be reincarnated as a Devil, but he** **will** **be closely tied to them. Hopefully that's a solution which works. Now, moving on to the chapter:**

 **Obviously I'm making all this 'law' stuff up as I go along. DxD didn't have many political elements (the Underworld's Foreign Affairs minister is a god-damned** **mahou shoujou –** **and wouldn't that make parliamentary debates more interesting...), and there's not much about the Pact between Magician and Devil on the wiki either. Just a description of why a Magician might enter into one. So, I just ran with what little knowledge I could glean, combined with what I felt were reasonable assumptions about the kind of relationship they would have, since the Underworld still runs on something like an aristocracy. Hopefully it was somewhat reasonable.**

 **So yes, not much of a fight really... But as I wrote earlier on, Issei can handle opponents up to just one rank below Kokabiel's level. Riser and all his Peerage combined don't hold a candle to that, and thus, curb-stomp – a gentlemanly curb-stomp. One which would probably have been really dull to both write and read, so I summarised it.**

 **I let my muse run wild, and apparently it does** **not** **like Riser. I actually had a recent PM conversation with one Fenrir44 regarding pairings, an extensive one where we covered what felt like half of DxD's female cast and reason both for and against them. One of the things he suggested was going all Netorare on Riser's ass; I told him I'd consider it.**

 **This is what happened.**

 **I wouldn't expect them all to end up with Issei. Hell, right now the only ones I'm considering are Yubelluna, who I would be giving a back-story makeover, much as I did Raynare, and Ravel – partly because canon, partly because I'm a sucker for that face.**

 **But I couldn't, in good conscience, leave them with Riser. So...yeah. Sorry, anyone who was hoping for a 50+ woman harem or for that guy to not be a complete asshole. I'm just the avatar through which my imagination flows – please don't shoot the messenger!**

 **Right. So, Rias is free of the marriage contract, Issei just earned about +100 Influence with the Occult Research Club, and he's ticked the small fry off his list. Next stop: the Lords and Ladies Gremory and Phenex. Shit's about to get real.**

 **Thank you, for reading through my work – we broke 100 follows last night, and we're at more than 4,500 views. That's really awesome, and the many positive reviews I've received are even better. I hope I continue to entertain everyone who takes the time to drop by.**

 **If you have anything you want added, removed, changed or anything else – just drop a review. I listen, and often reply, to suggestions, and anything short of a flame makes me do a little happy dance.**

 **Try and get** **that** **image out of your head.**

 **'Till next time,**

 **Ja ne!**


	7. A Gentleman Does Not Stand Idle

"Normal Speech"

/"Foreign Language"/

'Thought / Scott Speaking'

' _Issei Thinking_ '

 **'Ddraig Speaking'**

" **Technique** "

 **[Announcements]**

{~o~}

Lord Zeoticus Gremory of the Seventy-Two Pillars was helping set up the hall in his Underworld home, in preparation for his daughter's impending nuptials, when his daughter-in-law arrived.

Neither Zeoticus nor Venelana, his wife, were particularly happy that their son Sirzechs had chosen to marry a former supporter of the Old-Satan Faction; they had, after all, just emerged from a long and bloody war with that same faction, and Grayfia had reaped her fair share of souls on both sides of the conflict.

For anyone else, it would have been political suicide. For the Crimson Satan who took up the mantle of Lucifer, it lead to a lot of people muttering to one another in bars – _very_ quietly.

But it wasn't as if either the Lord or Lady Gremory were capable of stopping him. He outmatched both of them combined on the battlefield, his political resources and acumen outstripped their own, and what was more taking up the name 'Lucifer' had effectively removed him from the Gremory Family tree, meaning he could not inherit the leadership of the clan... _or_ be controlled by it.

So, the two Devils had merely grumbled a bit and tried to make the best of it. It had worked, too; Grayfia was respectful of their stance and situation, and never once caused trouble. By now, the Gremory Clan Head was effectively over it, and greeted the woman with a wide smile. "Ah, Grayfia! It's good to see you. What brings you here today?"

Sirzechs' Queen inclined her head in greeting, before looking back up to her father in law. With the distinctive Gremory red hair and the same blue eyes as both Sirzechs and Rias, the resemblance was obvious. Zeoticus, unlike his son however, preferred to keep his hair long and held back in a loose ponytail, while his chin was framed by a short beard.

"I bring news of a change in Rias-ojou-sama's marriage arrangements, Gremory-sama."

The man blinked, expressions ranging from apprehension to hope flitting across his face. "A change, you say?"

"Yes, Gremory-sama," Grayfia continued. "The Phenex scion challenged her to a Rating Game with acceptance of the engagement as the prize."

An almost inaudible groan echoed from the man's throat, as he tilted his face downward. "So that's it then? There's nothing more that can be done?"

"Indeed, Gremory-sama," Grayfia agreed. "The contract has been voided absolutely; I checked the registry myself. The magic on the document has dispelled."

Teal eyes snapped up in a micro second, locking on to silver. "Voided? The contract was _voided?_ "

When the woman nodded, the Devil made his slightly unsteady way over to a nearby chair and almost collapsed into it. "She won..." He whispered, leaning back and looking to the ceiling. "She's free..."

Grayfia nodded once more, and a smile began to spread over Zeoticus' face once more. "She's free...she's free!" Springing from the chair as if he hadn't just sat down on it, the Clan Head threw back his head and laughed to the ceiling. "She's free!" He took off running from the hall, calling as she went. "She's free! She's free! Venelana, she's free!"

As the Devil ran away calling for his wife, the silver haired woman he had left behind shook her head ever so slightly. Whenever she wondered just how a Devil as powerful as her husband could be so childish much of the time, she had only to remember who raised him.

She left the hall at a far more sedate pace, wondering if the Lord Gremory would still be wearing that smile when his daughter came calling.

{~o~}

"I," mused Issei as he bustled around his kitchen, "am going to seriously need a bigger house if I'm going to be running an inn."

Scott laughed. 'We could always have a go at another space expansion, lad. Shouldn't be too difficult; you've come a long way since the garden.'

Ddraig just grunted. **'It is true, Partner, that your territory will soon become insufficient for containing yourself and all your vassals. It is a Dragon's prerogative to expand their influence; you have been negligent on this front.'**

Before Issei could protest, the emotional equivalent of a dismissive wave came through the link. **'I am aware that this was largely to avoid conflict; however, with your status known, you need no longer restrain yourself.'**

The brunet sighed, turning down the heat on the oven to make sure nothing burned. "We've had this discussion before Ddraig. I'll keep Kuoh safe if I can manage it, but I'm not going to conquer the city. For one thing, I think Rias-senpai would be rather miffed."

'They do say Hell hath no fury...'

The Dragon grunted again. **'It is your decision, Partner. But one way or another, you must work under the assumption that more will follow these three. Power attracts, and you represent a great deal of power.'**

Another sigh from Issei. "I know, Ddraig. I know."

He glanced toward the ceiling, where he knew that his latest house guest was currently making herself at home. "I just wonder how we went from being a relative unknown, to having representatives of all three Factions living under our roof, in less than a month."

A mental shrug from Scott. 'Just your luck, laddie.'

Finally beginning the task of plating dishes, Issei shook his head. "Well, luck – or our roguish charms." Both men chuckled to themselves, while Ddraig rolled emerald eyes the size of TV monitors.

"Dinner's ready!" The brunet called up the stairs, prompting the sound of running feet.

A few seconds later, Raynare touched down softly in the hallway – apparently having vaulted over the balcony railings above to cut a few seconds off her travel time. Asia was hot on the older woman's heels, paying careful attention to where she placed her feet; though the training _was_ helping, the former nun was still a bit clumsy at times.

Finally, the latest addition to Issei's household followed, moving at a pace just a bit too fast to be sedate. "How goes the unpacking, Rias?" The brunet asked, hanging up his apron on the iron bar which protruded from the oven door and moving to his seat as the redhead joined the other girls in taking their places at the table.

"It's just about done, Issei-kun," the girl told him with a smile. "Thank you, again, for putting up with me."

Issei waved off the thanks. "It's perfectly fine; living in an empty house simply can't have been good for you."

Following the conversation Issei and the Gremory Peerage had had with Riser's Peerage, Rias had asked if it would be too much to ask that she be allowed to stay with him for a while longer. He had been hesitant at first, but the look in her eye gave him pause.

It wasn't greed, or lust. It wasn't calculating. It was dead serious, and it had taken Issei only a few seconds to start joining dots until he arrived at the obvious conclusion for her sudden wish to live with him.

So he'd accepted. And now he was living with two of his school's most popular girls, and a _much_ older woman who could compete with either of them in the looks department.

' _Matsuda and Motohama must_ never know _._ ' He thought to himself, a slight shiver going up his spine. The fallout from such a revelation would be...apocalyptic. For whom, he wasn't sure – he just knew that someone's world would be ending.

He shook off the fear, burying it in his own cooking as all four of them dug in.

Fifteen minutes later, when everyone was satisfied, he caught the anxiety on Rias' face. "Rias, you know we'll all be right behind you, don't you?"

The girl flinched, a micro-expression flaring for an instant before fading away behind a thin smile. "I know, Issei-kun. But..."

"It's your parents." The brunet finished for her, and the girl nodded – a tiny hint of relief in her eyes that Issei chose not to comment on.

The Rating Game had only been that afternoon, but Grayfia had already informed them that the Lord and Lady Gremory expected to speak with their daughter the next afternoon, seeing as it was a Saturday and she had no school to deal with.

Of course, her Peerage had told her, unequivocally, that they were coming with her. As had Issei.

She didn't manage to tell them no.

So now, she was facing the prospect of standing in front of her parents the next day, with someone who amounted to basically a backpack nuke standing right next to her with a finger on its own trigger, and confronting the people who raised her.

It was a testament to her character that she was willing to go through with it; but that didn't stop her having doubts.

"...Yes," she agreed, "that's it. All my life I've loved them, respected them and followed what they taught me, but...that _contract_..."

The expression on her face was a mix of sorrow and confusion that greatly resembled pain. "How can I love people who would have consigned me to Hell? How can I respect those people?"

She was shaking slightly now, and it was Asia who put an arm on her shoulder. Raynare had never had parents; just a Father, and he hardly counted considering the circumstances. Issei had never had the slightest issue with his parents.

As an orphan, Asia didn't really have that experience either; but the Church had been her family, and it had turned on her in the worst way. She had come the closest to experiencing what Rias was now, and she tried to show her support.

"Rias-senpai..." She murmured, "I can't really answer your questions, because I don't think I can respect the people who hurt me anymore." The former nun frowned, her hand tightening just a feather's weight on Rias' shoulder. "Those people...so many of them were acting in their own interests, thinking of themselves rather than God or their fellow man...they weren't worth respecting in the first place."

The calming touch and voice of the Twilight Healing user had apparently pulled Rias from the worst of her slump, as she stopped shaking. "But Rias-senpai, if your parents could raise someone like you, then they must have some good points, right? So maybe, just try to think of those, and try to find where they made a mistake."

The redhead stared up at the younger girl for a few long moments, then chuckled a bit and patted the hand on her shoulder. "Thank you, Asia-chan. I feel a lot better now."

The smile on the former nun's face seemed to brighten the whole kitchen. "Not a problem, senpai. So long as you're better!"

Across the table, Issei hid his smile behind a raised hand and a faked yawn.

He'd had more than one reason for taking Rias into his home, after all.

"Rias and I should be going to sleep," he informed the others. "We'll need to be rested before the visit to the Underworld tomorrow, and we're going to have to set out early so we can get through all the red tape."

As it turned out, there was protocol to bringing humans into the Underworld. Sure, Issei's status as a Pact Magician made things easier, but there were still some standard checks.

Or, they _would_ be standard, if he didn't have a Longinus.

The fact that he was the wielder of the Boosted Gear didn't help things, seeing as one of its Devil wielders had gone Stray a few centuries back and activated the Juggernaut Drive in the middle of a city.

The death toll didn't bear thinking about.

Needless to say, getting Issei down there, even as a Pact Magician, accompanied by a Clan Heir, and with the unseen backing of the Crimson Satan, was going to be a bitch – and a waste of quite a few hours. Hence, going to bed early to set out in time.

Rias nodded in agreement. As she rose, heading for the stairs, Raynare caught the brunet's attention. "Issei, Asia and I are going to practice for a while before we head to bed."

Though he hid it well, Issei frowned a bit. Ever since he had managed to guilt-and-logic trip his way into facing Riser and his Peerage alone, Raynare had been...antsy. She had upped her training regime even further than it had been already, and Asia had pushed herself hard to match. They weren't building injuries, not with Twilight Healing, but all the same he worried they might burn out.

He wasn't entirely sure _why_ the Fallen was taking his choice so hard; he had taken her in to try and protect her, and because she had valuable information that lead to him rescuing Asia. She didn't have to do anything to earn her keep or her friendship with him, and he would certainly never ask for anything.

And yet, when he didn't call on her to back him up – completely ignoring the fact that there was no way in Hell he could get a Fallen Angel into a Rating Game of _any_ kind without her being Reincarnated...and maybe not even then, with her Light Spears – she launched herself into growing stronger with a vengeance.

Still, that was an issue for later, when he could sit down with her and talk without some overshadowing necessity.

Like meeting Rias' parents, and possibly picking a fight with her dad.

Oh how he sometimes missed the days when it was just him, Irina and that voice with the weird accent in his head...

"Alright then, Raynare." He smiled at her, laying a hand on her shoulder as he walked past while pulling Asia into a side-hug with his other arm. It turned out that the girl was a very touch-feely kind of person, and he didn't want to seem aloof by trying to avoid contact with her. Hence, the occasional indulgence. "Just don't push yourselves too hard, okay?"

He waved over his shoulder while following Rias' footsteps upstairs, missing the flickers of expression that ran across the Fallen Angel's face as he disappeared.

{~o~}

This was it.

Issei stood alongside Akeno, shadowing Rias' right shoulder while the dark-haired girl took the left, Koneko and Kiba following behind them. They were facing a pair of ornate wooden double-doors, carved reliefs of what the brunet assumed were historical events winding their way around the frame and across the panels.

It was all _very_ fancy – much like the manor house which contained it, which Issei estimated probably used as much timber as the average small country in its construction. Truly, the Gremory home was a thing of magnificent extravagance; nothing quite screamed 'old money' like a house that had more cubic metres to its name than a football stadium.

These were the doors that lead into the reception area for the Lord and Lady Gremory; apparently it was protocol for a returning Heir to meet her parents in a formal setting before they shifted to something more familiar. The dress style going on among the visitors certainly supported the atmosphere.

Akeno, Rias and Koneko were all wearing dresses; done in black, scarlet and light blue respectively. Frills aplenty, none of the girls would have looked out of place on a ballroom somewhere. Truthfully, Issei had very nearly let his jaw drop upon seeing them in the club room that morning, as they prepared to teleport to the Underworld's version of an airport terminal.

He and Kiba, of course, were not to be outdone.

The Knight had chosen a white dress shirt and black slacks, with an equally dark waistcoat – much as might be found on a dealer at a casino – and had one of his Demon Swords buckled to his hip. As someone who had... _dabbled_ in anime from time to time, Issei found the teen's 'Sword Birth' Sacred Gear to be downright awesome. To conjure Demon Swords in any shape with just about any magical property from thin air...

He could almost hear the Aria in the back of his head as he watched the weapons form.

The brunet himself had donned the only thing that would ever have been suitable for this situation, in his mind at least. An outfit which he had updated over the years, as his body and his magecraft both grew, but which had remained the same at heart.

A crisp, almost _sharp_ black and white tuxedo.

With a bow-tie for the Hell of it.

It had brought him no small amount of pleasure to see how Raynare's, and even Asia's, eyes had remained locked on him from the moment he came down that morning – to say nothing of Rias.

Akeno had openly ogled him, giggling all the while, and if he wasn't mistaken Koneko was sparing him more glances than normal that day. It didn't surprise him. This was, after all, his Ultimate Form – a Gentleman's power knew no greater heights than when he donned his battle outfit.

Which, in all honesty, this was. This was his latest iteration of the clothing, somewhat younger than the Tenohira; and it had, in a word, _everything_.

Every enchantment that Scott could teach him, and a few others he'd puzzled out himself, had been oh-so-carefully traced onto the fabric in a mix of magically charged blood and ink, the various twisting designs channelling his power at the barest hint of willpower.

In this outfit, he was about as close to fireproof, bulletproof, lightning-proof, waterproof and magically resistant as he could possibly make himself.

And it never needed to be washed or ironed, nor was it ever at anything but the perfect temperature.

Still, for all of its powers, the effect it had on women was the only non-magical one – and yet, in Issei's mind, it was the most powerful.

He hadn't even cared about the paperwork and queues they'd dealt with on the way here; one recollection of the looks he'd been getting all morning and he was walking on air.

Now though, it was time for his feet to be planted firmly on the ground.

Rias knocked thrice on the portals, and a booming voice called from beyond. "Enter!"

Five pairs of lungs took deep breaths as one, and then the doors were pushed open as the teens entered.

The room was, just like the rest of the house, extravagant. Paintings that could have been in the Louvre hung everywhere, a fire burned merrily in a fireplace that could have been someone's parking space, the carpet was at _least_ three inches thick, and Issei was fairly sure the various luxurious arm chairs and sofas had actual golden trim on them.

 _Devils_. Ostentatious didn't even begin to cover it.

The little party advanced over a floor that felt more like sponge than anything else, approaching the massive desk set below a wall-sized window. Seated behind it were two figures, and Issei broke them down as he approached, much as he had done Riser.

The man was tall, even sitting down; probably topped out at a few inches over six feet at full extension. His hair and eyes were the same shades as Rias, while his facial structure was quite long and thin, almost feminine but for its rugged edge. There was laughter in his eyes, the brunet noted.

He'd see how long that lasted.

Beside him was a woman whose expression had been carefully schooled into strictness, but was twitching at the seams. She looked a lot like Rias; though her hair was chestnut brown, and her eyes a bright violet, their facial structure and builds were very nearly identical.

Yes, these were definitely her parents.

The group came to a halt about two feet from the desk, and Rias curtsied. "Lord Gremory. Lady Gremory."

Behind her, both Akeno and Koneko followed suit, Kiba bowing instead.

Issei inclined his head...but nothing more.

Both the Devils behind the desk immediately trained their eyes on him, moreso than they had done from the moment he entered the room, and Venelana turned to Rias while her husband kept fixing Issei with a look.

"Daughter, your Peerage are known to us. However, your companion is not – nor is he a Devil." The command there was implied, and delivered with the expectation of instant obedience.

Issei took a step forward before the girl could do a thing.

"My name is Issei Hyoudou, Lady Gremory." He told her, only glancing away from her husband's gaze for a moment before he returned to his staring contest with the man, both of them slowly ramping up the pressure as their wills clashed. "You may know me better as the person who saved your daughter from effective slavery."

Both Venelana and Zeoticus looked like they had been slapped before they managed to re-set their expressions, but the damage was done. Issei had the upper hand, and he pushed it. "I begged Rias to be brought along on this expedition, because I wanted to see the kind of people who would confine their daughter to a very long life of suffering."

Only certain people could look down their nose at someone without ever shifting their neck. Issei had practiced until he was one of them.

"Certainly, if this is how you treat family, the prospect doesn't seem quite so impossible any more."

There was a sudden explosion of pressure, which drew gasps from the Gremory Peerage, as Zeoticus rose to his feet with a thunderous expression on his face. " _You DARE-_ "

" _Yes I dare!_ " Issei growled right back, opening the floodgates and pushing off the blanket of the Devil's presence as he stepped in front of Rias and the others. They immediately began breathing normally, the brunet acting as a barrier between them and the enraged man. "I have taken up position as Rias' Pact Magician, and that makes her safety _my_ responsibility as much as it is her Peerage's. Already I have dealt with one threat – now, I'm dealing with the cause, as is my job – a job which _should not have been mine._ "

The Lord Gremory recoiled again, as Issei's eyes burned cold. "You are her _father_ – not just that, you are a Lord of the Seventy-Two Pillars. Rias tells me that you are friends with the Lord Phenex, that you see him on a regular basis along with others of your class. You have had _years_ to solve this issue, and you _have not_. It fell to _me_ , a seventeen year old boy who has known your daughter as more than a face in a crowd for no more than a month, to handle it."

Zeoticus sat down, posture slumped as Issei reeled in his own presence, the Dragon coiling itself around his soul with a growl as it stared out through his eyes, just waiting for a chance to rise again. "I understand perfectly how the Lord Gremory could have done such a thing; after all, _politics_ is what it is." He resisted the urge to spit sideways at the word. "What I _don't_ understand, is how the man who raised the Rias I know could possibly have done such a thing."

There was a _very_ tense silence. Rias had been subtly pulled behind her Peerage, the three Devils forming a wall between her and the elder Devils – an attempt to buy her time for an escape, should the worst happen. Issei stood before even them, primed and ready for combat but hoping that it wouldn't come to that.

Finally, weary blue eyes lifted from the surface of the desk, meeting brown as their owner sighed, ageing beyond his physical appearance. "How much do you know of Devils, Issei Hyoudou?"

Well, it wasn't combat. And he could have patience with the man, if he was willing to offer an explanation. "Not much," he admitted. "You're naturally magical, incredibly long-lived but not immortal, and operate under a system of hierarchy which goes from the Four Devil Kings down to the Low Class Devils reincarnated by the Evil Pieces. Each echelon has its own rights and responsibilities, but that's about the extent of my knowledge."

The man nodded. "That's rather general, but it gets the major points. Yes, we are an ancient race – just as old as the Angels, in many respects. We are magical in a way few other beings can match, excepting the reincarnated as they are not true Devils in the sense of we Purebloods.

"It is because of that, that they do not share the curse that our blood carries with it."

One brown eyebrow went up. "Curse?"

Zeoticus nodded. "Indeed. When a Pureblood Devil is born, it immediately attaches itself to them – and it binds that Devil's soul to a Sin."

He paused, and Issei assumed he was awaiting some input. "A Sin? You mean like Wrath, Pride, Gluttony, Envy, Sloth, Lust and Greed?"

Another nod. "Precisely. They run in our blood, those Sins – it is the price of our nature, I suppose. But each of us is bound to one such Sin, and without careful child rearing it can come to define us.

"I, myself, am afflicted with Greed." He gestured to Rias. "As is my daughter, and as are my son and my grandson." He shrugged. "It is the Gremory in them, I must assume; our fame may come from our treatment of our Peerages and other servants, but in honesty that began with our Sin."

Issei frowned. "I don't quite understand how Greed translates into caring for those beneath you."

A wan smile spread across the Lord's face. "You aren't thinking esoterically enough, then. For we Gremory, our Greed revolves around people." A light came on in Issei's eyes, and Zeoticus' smile widened. "You understand, then? Yes, we are Greedy for servants, friends, lovers and rivals; as such, we go to great lengths to find and keep them. It only makes sense to treat them well; that way, they will remain with us out of loyalty, respect, a sense of duty and good health."

He leaned back in his seat. "This is what it means to be a Pureblood Devil; our lives are defined at birth, and we have little to no choice in the matter." The weariness returned, casting shadows on his bright eyes. "Little choice at all.

"It was my Greed, that consigned Rias to her fate. Mr Hyoudou, how old do you think I am?"

The brunet frowned. "You are the father of the Crimson Satan, who was known to be at least an adult during the Great War two thousand years ago...knowing that Devils have a low birth rate, then I'd put you somewhere around three thousand?"

The man nodded, a hint of respect in his eyes. "A logical deduction. I am, in fact, currently in the latter half of my third millennium. And do you know how many children I have sired?"

Issei shook his head.

"Two." A hollow laugh from the man. "Three and a half _thousand_ years, and I have only one son and one daughter. True, they have been the greatest joy of this life save for my wife, but it is my _Greed_. I want _more_ , more children to spoil, more little feet running through the house, more heads of bright red hair looking up at me and smiling."

He shook his head. "Rias was only about five years old when my first grandchild, Millicas, was born. When Sirzechs brought the boy to me, I could think of nothing else. My rational thought was consumed by the image, and in my delirium, I tried to ensure that I would have more grandchildren in the future."

The man brought his hands to his face, rubbing at his eyes. "I was, and still am, good friends with Atticus Phenex, the current Lord Phenex. I saw his eldest, Ruval, and his second eldest, Revive, and I saw how well he had raised them. I knew he had a third son, one around Rias' age, and I acted."

A slight pressure built again, though this time the rage seemed directed inwards. "And then he grew up. He grew up and, despite being betrothed, built himself a harem." One fist clenched, beginning to shake slightly. "As if my daughter wasn't enough for him. As if the idea of being with her meant _nothing_ to him."

Zeoticus let out a long sigh, anger transitioning to fatigue once more as he regained his self-control. "For the past two years, I have been attempting to get around the contract. Sirzechs had the same idea, and I can only assume that he succeeded where I failed."

It was a shrewd expression on the ancient demon's face as he glanced once more at the brunet, who grunted. He'd figured as much; a lot of the circumstances surrounding Rias, her Peerage, and his meeting with them felt _too_ smooth.

He didn't like the idea of being manipulated...but for Rias' sake, he was willing to let it slide.

"I believe I'm beginning to understand where you're going with this," Issei told Zeoticus. "The Sins. Your lack of overt action." His eyes took on a dangerous look once more, and he made his accusation. "If I am understanding correctly, Lord Gremory, then you are trying to tell me that you very nearly cast Rias into Hell for the sake of your Pride and Greed."

Gods, the man looked old when he sat like that; for all his boyish good looks, every year of his true age burned in his eyes like a candle adrift on the ocean. "Your understanding is correct, Mr Hyoudou."

It was easier than he'd expected to hold himself in check. To not reach across the desk, grab the man by his lapels, and break his nose on the polished wood. To not flip the furniture aside and throw him through the massive window. To not cram him into his own fireplace.

It was easier, because he understood now, what this ancient and remorseful man was telling him. He'd known it all along, but he hadn't really applied it to this situation before now.

Because he, like Rias, like Venelana, like Raynare and like Sirzechs, was Not Human.

He was thousands of years old, and had enough power in his being to level cities. There was no way to feed his actions through a Human filter, because he simply didn't act like a Human.

Even when he, perhaps, should have.

Still, the bones in his left hand creaked as his fist clenched, his jaw following suit as his eyes screwed shut, reeling in the instinctive response. When brown orbs were visible once more, his features were carefully blank. "My main reason..." He began, tone so utterly neutral it may as well have been artificial, "for this confrontation, was to be sure that you would never again endanger Rias as you did in this situation."

He looked deep into the ancient eyes before him, and even though he _knew_ Zeoticus was Not Human, he could find nothing to say that he did not truly feel the remorse that shone there. "I suppose I will simply have to put my trust in you, as the man that raised my friend, that you are not fool enough to make the same mistake twice."

Zeoticus bowed his head, just a little, but in doing so he likely made history.

The first time a Clan Head acknowledged a Human, one who offered him insult in his own home, genuine respect.

Beside him, Venelana, who had been observing the brunet for the entirety of the conversation, echoed the motion. She had known it was a bad idea; but she also knew her husband, and at the time, she had been willing to hope.

That hope had become despair in recent years, but this man had saved her daughter. That was worth her respect.

With one final, stiff nod, Issei backed away from the desk, taking up his position beside Rias once more, who had been staring at him for the past several minutes with a range of expressions on her face. Her eyes, the same shade as Zeoticus' but so _very_ different, managed to soften his own as she placed a gentle hand on the back of his. "Thank you," she whispered, before taking a deep breath and stepping forward.

Zeoticus looked up at his daughter, a tiny smile all he could conjure amid the guilt and the regret he felt. Her expression was almost identical. "Father..." she began, and the man nearly winced at the formality. "You've always been good to me. Better than I deserved, in all likelihood." She shook her head. "No, definitely better than I deserved.

"I need to talk with Sirzechs about it too, but until you sold away my future for your own sake, and refused to take it back for the same reason, you were the best father I could have asked for." Another wince from the man before her.

"I understand, Father." She told him, eyes slightly damp as her smile went a little wider. "I understand, because it wasn't until I actually thought I might be better ending it all instead of living that I turned to someone for help – and I didn't even got to my family. I went to someone completely unaffiliated with them, because my Pride wouldn't allow me anything else."

She bowed, a far cry from the earlier curtsy. "I really do understand, Father. But, I think I need some time to think, before I come back home again." She rose, and there were definitely tears in her eyes now.

Issei fancied they were mirrored in her father.

"So please, can you give me that?"

{~o~}

As the well-dressed group walked away from the Gremory Manor, heading to the designated spot for teleportation circles, Akeno kept on hand on her King's shoulder, while Koneko and Kiba flanked her. Issei stayed close, but detached enough to give them privacy.

That had been hard for the girl, he knew. She had lived under her family's umbrella for a very long time, and she had just taken the first major step out from beneath that canopy.

She was a teenager finally beginning to break away from her parents, and he knew that she needed her friends right now.

So, he kept quiet, until they reached the small building with its intricate designs, and a hand gently pulled at his sleeve.

Turning around, he found Rias, who had dried her eyes and recovered enough to offer him a small smile. "Issei-kun..." She gave up on the light touch, dragging him bodily into a hug as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "Thank you. Thank you, for giving me the confidence to do that."

The brunet chuckled, patting the girl on the back before gently disengaging her before about five seconds had passed. "It was my pleasure, Rias. Now, shall we carry on? We have one more stop this afternoon."

The redhead smiled at him once again, before steeling her expression and nodding. "Yes. Alright everyone, gather in the circle. We're still about twenty minutes early, so we should have plenty of time to get there."

The group followed her command, and they left in a flash of red light.

{~o~}

Fifteen minutes later, they found themselves standing in front of another intricate door – this one, however, was carved with images of flames, painted in shades from white to red, with gold inlay in place of yellow. This was a family that took pride in its abilities.

Rias knocked once more, and another strong voice called. "Come in!"

They did so, taking up the same formation as they had during the Gremory visit, and beheld a room that could have been the reception in Gremory Manor with a palette swap, emphasis on the white-to-crimson range.

Issei supposed there were only so many ways to show you were rich, after all.

In a repeat of earlier, they stopped roughly two feet from an ornate desk, though it was only a man behind it this time.

He was similar enough to Zeoticus for them to be brothers; a youthful face, aristocratic and without blemish, belied his millennia of life. His eyes were a deeper blue than the Gremory patriarch, closer to indigo. His hair was a dirty blond, less outspoken than Asia's spun gold – more like dusty gold, if Issei had to put a name to it.

This was the other man they had an appointment to meet that day – Atticus Phenex. Riser's father, and the other affected party in the dissolved contract.

His eyes were sharp, but there was a twinkle of humour and positivity in them as he glanced between Rias and Issei. "Ah, Heiress Gremory. It's good to see you again; it's been a few years."

The redhead curtsied, her Peerage following suit as Issei just inclined his head again, almost feeling like he was experiencing deja vu. "That it has, Lord Phenex. I believe we last met when you were celebrating my betrothal with my father."

The blond winced. "Ah, yes. The betrothal. Shall I take it that your requested audience is in relation to it?"

Rias hummed, glancing over at Issei. "Yes and no, sir. Before we continue, may I request that some others join us? They are known to you, but our business concerns them, and they expressed a wish to be present."

An eyebrow rose, and the Lord nodded. "By all means, Heiress."

Rias inclined her head, then headed out the doors quickly to make a call – as it turned out, Devils were entirely capable of mimicking cell phones with magic.

Honestly, the ease with which they did these things was enough to make a man jealous...

"So, you're the one."

The brunet turned his attention back on the Phenex, as they were currently the only two people in the room – Rias' Peerage were sticking to her like glue today. "The one who defeated Riser?" He asked in return. "If it is to that which you refer, then yes, I am the culprit."

The man nodded, standing and moving around his desk.

Issei didn't even blink; there was no malice in his movements, no hostility in his aura, and his lack of alert was proven correct when the Lord extended a hand to shake, which the brunet did immediately. His grip was solid, but not crushing – a refined technique through years of politics.

"In that case, thank you...?"

"Issei Hyoudou," the teen replied, as Phenex released his hand.

"Thank you, Issei Hyoudou, for finally giving my son the taste of defeat he so sorely needed." A frown creased the father's brow. "I honestly don't know where I went wrong. He showed such promise early on, like his brothers, but as time went by..." A weary sigh. "I can only hope that losing so utterly as I have heard was the case will change him for the better."

Brown eyes narrowed. "Well, I suppose we will see. Despite my personal feelings on the matter, you _are_ his father; you know him better than I."

Atticus nodded, sighing as he did so. "I suppose that is the response I expected. In truth, I sometime wonder..." He shook his head, then returned to his seat, lacing his fingers together before him and settling in to wait.

The two waited a minute longer, before Rias and her Peerage re-entered. Hot on their heels was Ravel, being flanked by Yubelluna much as Akeno did for Rias. The rest of Riser's Peerage followed them, showing various degrees of determination, fear, resignation and hope on their faces.

The look on the Lord Phenex's face aged rapidly as each member of the Peerage entered, the same phenomenon Issei had witnessed with Zeoticus.

' _He reached a conclusion very quickly_ _..._ ' Issei thought to himself. _'Either his ability to read people and think logically are on par with a computer, or he's been expecting something like this.'_ It could be either, really – three thousand years of politics would do wonders for a Devil's powers of observation and logical thinking.

"Sir," Rias addressed the man, "this meeting is because I wanted to put my support behind a petition for your son Riser's Peerage to be released from their servitude."

The blond nodded tiredly, eyes running across the girls' expressions. "I see..." He stood, moving around the desk once more. From the way his red-haired friend blinked rapidly, Issei assumed this was a major breach of protocol, or something equally surprising.

The man moved right up to Ravel, who was trembling but managed to hold herself in place when Yubelluna rested one hand on her shoulder. "Ravel..." The man began, sinking to one knee to better put himself on her level, and taking her free hand in both of his. "Please, tell me. Are you sure? You know your own mind and heart, and I dare say you know these others'. Has it reached this point?"

The girl shuddered a bit, before replying in a low whisper that Issei couldn't quite make out. Whatever she said, it prompted Atticus to go almost entirely slack for a moment, before letting out a massive sigh. "I see..." He muttered quietly, wrapping his arms around his youngest child in what Issei assumed was a move about as far removed from being a Lord as was possible. "Then, a clean slate it is."

He rose from the girl, who was shedding tears now, and raised one hand to the ceiling. " **By the power invested in me as the Lord Phenex of the Seventy-Two Pillars, in the name of the Satans and the blood of my ancestors, I declare that my scion, Riser Phenex, is unfit to rule. I revoke his right as King, as is my right! So mote it be!** "

There was a howling of wind, and what sounded like a cry of pain from somewhere, before a glowing red chess piece seemingly manifested from thin air in the man's outstretched palm. He grasped it, and a red glow began to exude from the chest of each Peerage member.

" **By the power of this Piece, I declare these Devils to be their own rulers, released from their bonds. So mote it be!** "

The red light grew brighter, before a full set of pieces formed in the air in front of Lord Phenex, the glow vanishing from each girl at the same time.

There was dead silence for a moment, before the sound of cheering voices, quiet cries and laughter filled the room as the girls grabbed onto one another for support or in celebration.

As they did so, the Lord retrieved a thin wooden box from a cabinet, opening it to reveal a felt interior with indentations for each of the Evil Pieces. The floating objects descended into their proper slots, and the man lowered the lid, closing it with a _click_.

Then, he moved back over to the scrum of women, and by some arcane magic managed to pluck his daughter from the centre and pass the case gently into her hands, her eyes widening as he did so. "Your brother may not be ready for this duty," he informed her, sombre but smiling. "However, I have seen your skill in the Rating Games, and I have seen how these girls turned to you as their leader. As far as I am concerned, you have earned this right."

As he stepped back from his awestruck daughter, Yubelluna broke free of the dog-pile, saw the case in the girl's hands, let out a squeal that probably shattered windows somewhere, then dragged her into an embrace and began spinning the youngest Phenex around like a ballerina with a stuffed toy.

As the mess of people started growing even louder, this time with almost entirely joy, the Gremory Peerage, Issei and Lord Phenex just stood back and watched, all bearing soft smiles – even Koneko, for all she hid it.

"Heiress Gremory," the blond finally spoke, drawing their attention. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Thinking about what this may have become..." There was both anger and disappointment in his voice, and he shook his head. "It seems I was remiss to entrust Riser with this responsibility. You can be assured, if he ever regains his rights as a King, he _will_ be worthy of it."

Rias curtsied once more, a genuine smile on her face. "You are a kind and just Lord, sir. I can only hope I will lead my Clan so well some day."

The man smiled again, and inclined his head to her. "I have faith that you shall find a way to exceed this old man, Heiress. Now, I do believe that the doorway will be occupied for some time, so you have my permission to exit from here."

A ripple of magic around the group informed them that the verbal permission from the Lord Phenex had been received by the wards around the house, allowing them passage.

Another round of bows and curtsies from the group, and they gathered around Rias to teleport.

Issei and the Lord's eyes met for a moment, and both offered one another respectful nods, each acknowledging the part the other had played.

And as the brunet vanished in a swirl of red light, a pair of deep blue eyes watched from the spacious haven of Yubelluna's chest as he disappeared, having seen the respect her father offered, and remembered the feeling of absolute safety and unending hope that she had found in a strong hand and a kind smile.

And she hoped once more.

{~o~}

Issei and Rias arrived home after dropping off the other Peerage members at their various abodes. They were all in good spirits, and Kiba had practically touched the floor with his forehead bowing to his 'senpai'. Issei had taken it in stride, and promised to help the boy in assembling his own tuxedo, since while the bartender look worked well in many situations, sometimes the whole nine yards were a necessity.

"We're home!" The brunet called, removing his shoes and unfastening his bowtie as he entered the hallway, Rias parting ways with the high-heels she had been wearing. Since they'd been mostly teleporting everywhere, she had felt it was worth the discomfort.

"Welcome back!" Came Asia's reply, from the kitchen Issei noted. He headed down the hall, turning into the room and taking in the sight.

Asia...was in an apron. _His_ apron. And she was also covered in flour and what might have been sugar or salt.

On the counter in front of her were various ingredients that, if assembled properly, could theoretically make a cake.

Unfortunately, that hadn't happened.

The blonde looked at his face, which was rapidly losing all expression, then to the mess she had made of the normally pristine workplace. "Um...I thought you might like something sweet after dinner tonight..." She murmured, poking her fingers together and blushing.

That snapped the brunet out of his stupor, and he took a deep breath. "Right." He vanished upstairs, leaving Rias to try and comfort Asia, who had gone utterly despondent with his disappearance.

Then, he turned up two minutes later, dressed in a simply t-shirt and sweatpants, rubbing his hands together. "All right, Asia." He told her, gently placing his hands on the girl's shoulders as Rias backed away. "I really appreciate the thought, and you've obviously done your best." She nodded, and he smiled encouragingly. "So, how about I walk you through it, so you can make a cake on your own if you ever want to?"

The blonde looked up at him, and once again her smile radiated light like the sun. "Please, Issei-kun!"

So the brunet set about salvaging the various ingredients strewn about, pointing out to his student how to tell whether or not something could still be used, and generally cleaning the place up. That done, he lined up the required ingredients, explaining what each did in terms of structure and taste.

Following that was a good hour's work as they set about combining everything, largely with Issei starting a task and then letting Asia finish it, the girl gathering confidence as they went.

Finally, the magically-assisted oven came open, revealing a textbook Victoria Sponge – or something approximating it, in any case.

A bit of jam and cream later, the whole thing was put in a plastic tub to keep for later. One of the spells Issei had developed was a circle to create a vacuum in a container, basically by teleporting all the air inside outside. Vacuum-packing all his crisps, baked goods and basically everything had been saving him and his unknowing parents on spoiled goods for _years_ , and it was just another example of how magic had become...routine to him.

Until the incident with Raynare, he hadn't fought for real, so to speak. There had been one or two Stray Devils, and he'd matched fists with Scott in the Boosted Gear on occasion – he even had lessons with Ddraig once in a blue moon.

His first training partner, too...

But he was long past the point where he got all wide-eyed about magic and its many wonders. He appreciated it, loved to use it, had fun with it even – but he was experienced, now. Not some bumpkin in a world of veterans; he had the knowledge and the memories to accompany it.

Just as a Gentleman should.

Asia seemed to be passively radiating good cheer at this point, after spending a good part of the afternoon in close proximity to one of her heroes, learning something she'd always wanted to have a go at. The Church had never let her cook, or bake, or do much of anything really – but here, she was free to learn what she wanted, to do what she wanted...

To be with who she wanted.

Her eyes flashed to Issei at that thought, where he was cleaning off the various dishes and tools they'd used by using magic to create a self-contained twister of hot water in the sink and floating the objects in place until the motion of the liquid scoured them clean.

Then, the emerald green orbs turned to the kitchen door, their owner's thoughts going down the corridor and into the green expanse of the back garden, and the woman who had been there all day.

{~o~}

Raynare panted, hands on her knees, as she tried to regain her breath. It had been three hours since she had last been forced to take a break, drinking water like it was going out of style while her little ward had fussed over her. It was a wonderful feeling, to be cared for again – and it was why she was out here.

She had latched onto Issei, had dragged Asia to him, because he was powerful – powerful like she wasn't, because he could protect them like she couldn't. Because she was too weak.

But she worried, found herself terrified, because she _knew_ what was coming – _who_ was coming – and she didn't know if he could stand up to it alone.

So she was here, in this space filled with identical blades of grass that had been watered with the blood, sweat and tears of the man she owed her life. She was here...tearing the place to shreds.

Her limit was climbing, higher and faster. Twenty four spears had become twenty eight in the last four days, and she had been getting more and more accurate, until she was fairly sure she had the radius of her impacts down to about a half metre. Their speed had increased too; the air barely had time to whine as her weapons passed, now.

But it wasn't enough. Wasn't anywhere _near_ enough.

She glanced up at the sky, where she knew the coming velvet would be strewn with glowing lights. Those pinpricks of light. The Domain Father had given to _him_. To the monster she hated more than anything else in the universe.

As she summoned her power once more, feeling the burn of effort in her soul as she did so, she growled his name to get through the pain with pure rage.

" _Kokabiel..._ "

* * *

Compendium:

* * *

 **Author's Note**

 **Well. That happened.**

 **Ohaiyo, mina-san! I'm back, and it's another chapter with very little action, but hopefully a lot of things being set up for the future.**

 **A couple of people didn't really like the idea of having Rias in Issei's harem. They made good points; such as her being something of a spoiled brat, used to getting her way in all things.**

 **I agreed with them – in terms of _canon,_ that is.**

 **And this ain't canon.**

 **My Rias will learn the lessons early that she _should_ have come to terms with in canon to keep her character growing. A large part of it has happened here, but there's still the conversation with Sirzechs to keep in mind, so bear with it. I hope I've set those readers' qualms with her at rest, but if I haven't, feel free to let me know.**

 **So yes, one person in particular – lookin' at you, Aesir19 – managed to predict what I had planned for Riser's Peerage. Did it make sense? It did in my head, and I think this is what's best for the characters and the story both. Congrats to him, for managing to predict me; give yourself a cookie!**

 **Reviews weren't functioning properly for a while, but I believe that's been fixed now, so I'm pleased to say I can respond to reviews again, and have done so a few times already. So, I can happily ask that anyone with an opinion or a suggestion drops by for a few words or maybe a chat, and I can get right on it.**

 **So, Issei makes his way onto the Underworld's radar in the most Bond style possible without a martini and an aston martin, while Rias struggles with deciding how she wants to live her life. Raynare is desperately trying to find some self worth, while Asia sees more than anyone suspects.**

 **That's five down. Only one left to go.**

 **Until next time,**

 **Ja ne!**


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